Will PTA Mobile Phone Taxes Finally Decrease in Pakistan?

Are PTA mobile phone taxes in Pakistan finally going to decrease? Reportedly, consumers might soon see a massive relief.

Yesterday, on April 16, a major development surfaced regarding the heavy PTA taxes levied on smartphones. The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance officially addressed the ongoing issue of excessive mobile phone taxation. After reviewing a joint study submitted by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Finance Ministry, the committee took decisive action.

The committee unanimously recommended that the Federal Government and the Finance Ministry cut current mobile phone taxes by exactly 50%. Previously, the FBR Chairman, PTA Chairman, and Secretary of Finance had promised to conduct this joint study to evaluate the tax structure.

The primary objective behind this recommendation is to drastically improve mobile phone affordability. Consequently, this move is viewed as a strong push toward greater digital inclusion across the country.

Kasim Gilani, Member of the National Assembly for NA-148 (Multan) and Head of PPP Digital Punjab, publicly celebrated the committee’s decision. He labeled the recommendation a “meaningful step toward affordability” and a clear “win for us”. Furthermore, Gilani expressed his gratitude toward the committee members and Chairman Syed Naveed Qamar for pushing the initiative forward.

Good news for mobile phone users. The NA Standing Committee on Finance has unanimously recommended reducing PTA taxes after a joint study by FBR and the Finance Ministry. A meaningful step toward affordability and digital inclusion. A win for us. #PTATax #FBR pic.twitter.com/x65hcbdDKi

— Kasim Gilani (@KasimGillani) April 16, 2026

Visual evidence from a private news broadcast on Thursday corroborated these events. The televised session confirmed that Chairman Syed Naveed Qamar led the committee meeting where this historic tax reduction was recommended.

While this is currently a recommendation, it marks a significant step toward making smartphones accessible to the average citizen again.

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