Govt Set to Ease Imported Mobile Phones Policy for Overseas Pakistanis

The government is likely to announce a new incentive for overseas Pakistanis for using their imported mobile phones in Pakistan.

Highly-placed officials told Propakistani that an important meeting has been held at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Headquarters in the recent past. The meeting mainly focused on facilitating the overseas Pakistanis through a more liberal policy on the use of mobile phones in Pakistan.

In this meeting, the FBR, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have finalized a new integrated system for the overseas. The new system would allow the overseas Pakistanis to use their imported mobile phones for 120 days’.

The new system will be able to exchange immigration data among the PTA, FIA, and FBR. The new system would be connected with the FIA’s record of entry and exit of passengers.

Presently, 60 days period is available to overseas Pakistanis to use the imported phone with one SIM. After 60 days, the phone is not operational unless he pays the due amount of taxes for the regularization of the said device.

The immigration staff would enter the data of incoming passengers including overseas Pakistanis and foreigners and the passengers can avail the facility of registration and subsequently using the phones for 120 days period. If the overseas Pakistani come repeatedly to Pakistan, he can use the same phone/SIM number through reactivation with the help of immigration data.

The FIA will verify that the passenger has entered Pakistan and his phone would be activated through data integration.

Under the new system, the overseas Pakistanis would register one number on their mobile phone. The foreigner can also register their phone through their passport numbers linked with the FIA data. Each person can register one number and his SIM would be linked with this system. Every time he comes to Pakistan, he can use the same phone and reactivate the same number with the help of the entry/exit data of the immigration staff for a period of 120 days.

However, if the overseas Pakistanis or foreigners would leave the country before 120 days, the immigration system would automatically enter the data of the outgoing passenger at the time of exit and their phone would become disabled.

The system is linked with immigration and as soon as he leaves the country, his phone would automatically be blocked. The re-activation of the phone would be linked with the flight data of immigration that he has again arrived in the country.

Presently, the validity regarding the functionality of the device is 60 days starting from the day the SIM is inserted. The device will receive signals for the first 60 days and the overseas Pakistani can use it without paying tax or registering it. After 60 days, it will not receive any services. However, if overseas Pakistani plan to visit Pakistan again with the same mobile, its 60 days period will not be renewed.

The applicant must apply for ‘temporary registration’ by entering their credentials and device IMEIs via PTA’s Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS). PTA will connect this system with FIA’s Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) for passport number validation as well as with mobile operators for validation of mobile number SIM belonging to the applicant.

As per FBR policy, there is no discount on device registration within 60 days. However, an applicant who wants to register a device after 60 days of traveling into Pakistan or is a local applicant and wants to register a device with CNIC will have to pay additional tax/duty.


  • What will happen if the visitor sells his phone in Pakistan? Will it show as PTA compliant? If so then it would be very likely that these phones come into the market and are sold as PTA registered and only after 4 months the buyer will have his new phone useless. Can anyone share info regarding this?

  • No, they should be allowed to bring atleast 3 phones each person, and no fees should be taken from them if the device is less than 900$ and they should be allowed to gift these phones to family members

  • In many cases, people carrying mobile phones while coming from aboard, would gift those phones to their loved ones here in Pakistan. This helps them stay in touch with their loved ones. Government must devise rule that every overseas Pakistani coming to Pakistan can gift one such phone in a year to their family in Pakistan. Currently, their families in Pakistan cannot afford to buy a smart phone in Pakistan, nor can their overseas relatives, who are better-off, can gift them with a phone to stay connected.

  • There is a spelling error in Pakistanis, it is written as Paksitanis, kindly check and do the needful.

  • All people are not educated mostly people come Pakistan but black sheep sitting market they give them A lot of wrong information and open lock and provide them Bill which they can’t afford …
    EVEN though we are facing A lot of problem please if government not create ease why they create problem issue who make law and policy do u know people face A lot of problem u won’t they never visit Pakistan I m depressed

  • No no no we not need 120 days we want one phone in one year without tex.

  • what tax!! i am not paying a penny 😡, i didn’t buy expensive phone just to give PTA people free charity, its a shame 👎

  • I wonder if we go abroad, does we pay tax for any phone, would request to kindly reduce the taxes for phones specially. It will ease all of us. Thanks in advance

  • گاونڈو لوگ ہے سب
    مسافرو کی ساتھ بہت ظلم ہے
    نا منظور ہے یہ سسٹم

  • کتنے پڑھے ہیں یہ جو یہ قوانین بناتے ہیں شرم نہیں ہے ان جو آدمی فون استعمال کرتا وہ فری ہونا چاہیے
    ایک فون گفٹ کرسکتا ہو

  • Its a shameful policies of shameless leaders. Why the heck i pay you taxes for which i had purchased for personally using it while I was abroad. Next time, you will pay taxes for garments that i bought outside for my personal wear? Looters

  • ایک ہی بات کہوں گا بے غیرتی کی انتہا ہے تقریبا پچیس سال سے فرانس میں رہ رہا ہوں چاہے علی ایکسپریس سے موبائل فون خریدوں چاہے امازون سے وہ ٹیکس پڑتا ہے جو موبائل فون خریدتے وقت دوسری بار کوئی بھی ٹیکس نہیں دیتا یہ واحد گانڈو لوگ ہیں انہوں نے ٹیکس لگایا ہے لعنت ہے ایسے لوگوں کے اوپر


  • Get Alerts

    Follow ProPakistani to get latest news and updates.


    ProPakistani Community

    Join the groups below to get latest news and updates.



    >