Videos circulating on social media have sparked fresh speculation that Pakistan may soon remove or reduce PTA tax on imported smartphones. However, there is no confirmation so far from the government or the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and officials have not indicated that any such decision is under consideration.
These rumours gained momentum after the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance voiced strong concern over what it described as unusually high PTA taxes on imported mobile phones. Lawmakers said the current tax structure is pushing many users towards grey-market devices, which has become a growing challenge for regulators.
Lawmakers call for review of high taxes
The parliamentary committee met on December 3 and witnessed a heated discussion on the burden placed on consumers, especially overseas Pakistanis who bring their own phones from abroad. MNA Ali Qasim Gilani highlighted that even personal-use phones are subject to heavy duties upon arrival, which he said was creating unnecessary hardship.
Gilani noted that some users now keep two devices: one registered with PTA and another unregistered, because taxes on certain models have become unaffordable. He pointed out that a six-year-old iPhone 12 still carries a duty of nearly Rs75,000, which many consider unreasonable.
The committee also acknowledged that high taxation is encouraging people to seek alternatives, including grey-market imports and various unofficial methods used to bypass verification.
PTA’s role
PTA has already stated that it is aware of the problems created by high taxes, particularly for ordinary users who cannot afford the latest smartphones. However, the authority officials clarified that it does not collect taxes itself. PTA only provides the system that allows users to register their devices so they can operate on local networks.
All duties on imported phones are collected by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), not PTA. This means any change to the tax structure must come from the government or the finance authorities, not from the telecom regulator.
iPhone models hit the hardest
Taxes on premium smartphones are the highest in the region. The latest iPhone 17 series, for example, carries duties exceeding Rs200,000, which has pushed many buyers towards non-PTA-approved sets or modified options such as IMEI-patched, JV, CPID and other unofficial devices.
Some industry watchers believe that taxes on high-end models like the iPhone 17 may be reviewed and possibly reduced, but complete removal of PTA approval charges appears unlikely at this stage.
For now, reports suggesting that the government is planning to abolish PTA-related fees have no official backing. Both PTA and government officials have yet to issue any statement confirming such a move.
