The law and enforcement agencies have recently identified a large number of mobile phones frequently being smuggled to Pakistan through Dubai and other countries, causing losses worth billions of rupees.
There has been a sharp increase in mobile phone smuggling amid surging import taxes and foreign exchange rates.
These smuggled smartphones are being PTA-approved through cheaper and illegal methods such as CPID (consumer product identification) IMEI repair and patch approvals. As a result, the government of Pakistan has shortlisted hundreds of smugglers and shops that patch smartphones through these methods.
Alongside the government, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will also be initiating a crackdown against a popular website (cpidserver.com) that provides CPID approval services worldwide.
What is CPID/Patch Approval?
CPID approvals are a common method for unofficially obtaining PTA approvals at highly affordable rates, making it an ideal solution for using SIM cards on flagship phones. It is a method that unlocks the device’s original firmware without having to root the device, effectively removing the SIM lock. It changes the IMEI number of a smartphone through software that is connected to a remote paid server.
In simple words, this method replaces the IMEI number of a smartphone, which is the phone’s unique 15-digit ID, with that of an older device that is already PTA-approved, making it seem as if you’re using an officially approved device. This means that a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could be registered as a Nokia 3310.
Patch approvals involve similar techniques, except the phone remains limited to a single software patch, barring the user from updating their phone.
End of Cheap Approvals?
Sources in the government told Propakistani that PTA will be pursuing action against cpidserver.com through appropriate channels since it provides services across the world to a multitude of devices.
While this does not signal the absolute end of CPID or patch approvals in Pakistan, it is likely that PTA and the government will widen their crackdown scale in the future to curb illegal approvals of smuggled devices, especially after shortlisting the perpetrators.
People would pay the PTA tax if they were not so stupidly high. I don’t want to pay a 130,000 PKR tax for a phone that I bought for 80,000 PKR. Fix this broken system and people won’t go to smugglers and patchers.
tax should be 1-5 % people cannot pay 75% amount. Govt tactics are worst they are not interested to earn tax money
I think the taxes and duties must be low as every ordnery person should be able to pay. It will curb the smuggling as well will increase the revenue of govt. Main reason for smuggling is high taxes and duties.
How the seller gets old model IMEI from PTA data base?
You don’t need PTA data base. You essentially take up identity of a discarded phone already in PTA registry.
They buy PTA registered small (button) phones and then use their IMEI on the unregistered phones.
So basically they are getting angry because people are not paying PTA taxes which eventually goes into their pockets.
Main smjta hu is business ko ligle Kiya jay yani PTA ka idara khtm Kiya jay ameen
Realme mobile phone PTA prop Karwana hai
At the end Pakistani Citizens have to suffer with this as well People who spent there hard earned money are going to lose alot out of which some bought these knowingly and others who got scammed both will suffer I don’t know how they can make up for this huge loss of people owning these devices
PTA ko chaiye tax kam krein awam bhi nahe chahti k wo patch aur do number chakkron me pary taxes kam krdo har banda bharyga revenue bhi acha generate hoga issy ziada tax leny sy acha kam me reasonable tax rakhein log quantity me log approved krwayeinge illegal krny pr majbur kia hai logon ko ap logo nay..
Ek mobile 50k PTA approved mil Raha
25 ma non PTA milta
15 to 20k mobile ka tax
Or 1500 ma wahe phone patch ho jy ga
To awam Pagal hai Tum jsy logo ko tax dy
پاکستان کے ادارے بدماشوں کے جتھے ہیں جن کا کام صرف لوگوں کے لیے مشکلات پیدا کرنا ہے۔
On mobile phone PTA
Emmgharjinse call
Tax Rate Corruption: If rate of tax was 10% of the product price, it would be reasonable. If some bad official implemented 20% rate, it’s also bearable. If a worse official raised it to 30% it’s still tolerable. And if a worst official suggested 40% it’s somewhat tolerable. But if a stupid official implemented 200% tax, he could suggest million percent tax as well, simply because he is Stupid. If I was more stupid than him, I would recommend Quadrillion percent tax of the product price, simply because I was more stupid. This trend proves that tax rate in Pakistan is reciprocal to Stupidity. More I am stupid, higher is my tax rate. Solution: See how much tax rate is recommended by UNO financial advisory committee.
I bought Samsung J1 Mini Prime iat a price RMY 300 only in 2017 which equals to PKR. 9.000 approximately but when I came back to Pakistan it has been blocked by the nonsense department PTA and asked to pay tax Rs. 32,000 on it while I have paid duty at the time of purchase indirectly already receipt is with me, so government should remove this restriction or fix nominal tax on it. Second I carried in use Qmobile purchased already in Pakistan, 🇵🇰 product just a cost of 3000 only but PTA blocked on arrival with PKR 8000 tax ,totally excess with expatriates ,those who already send heavy remittance to Pakistan. Government should review and minimise the duty as much as possible that people could able to use their devices.
Agree. Remittances from Gulf countries has dropped significantly because of stupid PTA and FBR. These are real enemies of the country
Duniya ki 3rd class 4G services bhi puri nahi dey rahay aur expect kertay hain absurd tax prices…. Abolish this fraud PTA thats ripping the people of Pakistan to excel in the day and age of I.T
Allah puchay ga PTA waloon ko
If government wanna solve this problem, government should charge minimum or reasonable PTA tax.
Sir how can show you the people’s who importing and selling IMEI change flagship devices.who are looting people’s
Government taxes nahi kam kar skti k phone CPID krwane ki zaroorat hi na pare lakin haan agar sasty me koi kaam kar raha hai to ye apni jaib kese bharaingy kyun jb bhi koi hakumat aa k jaati hy to laazmi uska aik rad-e-amal hota hy k khazana khaali kro aur dikhao agli government ko k hum to ghareeb hain aukaat dikhana nahi choraingy.
For this crackdown to succeed, the Goverment and PTA first needs to address the rising inflation in Pakistan
My suggestion to Pakistani govt. Is… If you want to implement a change this drastic… You need to go slow and people will adopt gradually… If govt. Deside one day that it has to apply 6 figure tax on a 5 figure mobile… How they would public to oblige? Who does that in the world?
Sir pta ka tex affordable karen to masly khatam islamic country me sirf 2 numbareyan idaroon ny sikhae hy system sahi karo awam ko relief do
ان کو ایسا سسٹم کرنا چاہیے کہ کم پیسوں میں موبائل 3 ماہ 6 ماہ یا ایک سال تک بھی رجسٹر ہو سکے تا کہ جو لوگ بیرون ملک سے پاکستان چند ماہ کے لیے آتے ہیں ان کا فون چلتا رہے۔
With due Respect I will never pay PTA tax. AP tax max 5 thousands kar dein. 1 Lakh se oper Pagal tu ni k hum tax dein. Is se acha hum chota mobile wifi k Liye Rakh lein gy. PTA tax nahi bhar sakty.
محکمے میں موجود کالی بھیڑیں خود اس طرح کے بزنس کو پروموٹ کرتے ہیں اور پھر کارکردگی دکھانے کے لیے اور لوگوں کو بیوقوف بنانے کے لیے دکھایا جاتا ہے کہ گورنمنٹ مظلوم ہے اور عوام ظالم ہے۔
Public is not stupid why would someone pay such higher taxes sometimes which are even higher than the device itself improve this than no crack down would be needed
I want to register my fone I com march in Pakistan
The govt is doing so much to stop this which is only helps the buyer in reduced taxation but billions of rupees are being channeled to corrupt indivisuals/companies in various projects but nothing is being done, the govt does not want to give relief to the masses by imposing heavy taxes on the mobiles whereas the corrupt people are enjoying their ill gotten wealth-this is not me saying it but it’s in the newspapers/media which one can easily check..
pakistan k tamam idary jahaliyat ka shikar hai in k tax jub k thay inko billion rupes mil rahy thay ab koi mobile apprive hi ni karta jahil hain yeh log in ko chahiye tax kam karay ta k log approve krwa saky 100 main say sorf 1 percent log imie patch ya cpid karwa rahy hain is say koi faida ni honay wala
We are willing to pay the taxes, if those are utilised by investing on people welfare instead of putting this tax money directly in to the pockets of corrupt bureaucrats and politicians to use this money to buy the police, judicial system as well as lottas to use them against us for their own means.
I advise you to invest your efforts to amend the tax utilisation system instead of wasting the resources and efforts for crackdowns. So that citizens can follow the rules happily and to pay tax without having hard feelings of being ripped off.
Even if they spend these taxes on our country growth maybe some people pay it then but these thieves are putting into their own pocket There is Only 1 Solution for Pakistan And that is Khilafah system in which there is No Tax On Muslims No Pabandi On import So Kindly Everyone Read What is islamic system of islam and prepare your coming generation for it .
GHQ, Establishment and PTA end is near. Just wait and watch. Pakistan will gain success in every sector when these 3 organisation will completely Vanished.
If you people have a bit of sense, no one had to pay that much money that’s more than enough to buy a brand new phone. Make something of your own and export it, that we will proud on you. What type of way this is to loot people?! By doing nothing, make money! What type of business is it? Alongside check your currency value against dollar.
لوگ پی ٹی اے کا ٹیکس ادا کرتے اگر وہ اتنے زیادہ احمقانہ نہ ہوتے۔ میں اس فون کے لیے 130,000 PKR ٹیکس ادا نہیں کرنا چاہتا جو میں نے 80,000 PKR میں خریدا تھا۔ اس ٹوٹے ہوئے نظام کو ٹھیک کریں اور لوگ اسمگلروں اور پٹواریوں کے پاس نہیں جائیں گے۔
KASAM BILLAH
If we would sold our bodies and even souls to make our country strong, our corrupt system and people in it will never let that happend. Shame on our corrput system and people who are runnint it.
The day will come soon when there only be tax remaining in pakistan. We onky have to pay taxes for living some days. And believe me that you can even expect that a born baby will also be asked to pay tax immegiately if he/she wants to breath in that oolluted and courrupted air.
Why the Government not offer companies to manufacture device locally, this is real face of traitor, do don’t want people to give relief of any kind
If pakistni govt wants to collect tax to make a fone PTA,then they must decrees the tax amout,so that everyone that have a smartphone can legally pay a tax and register his/her device.
why people pay 130000/ for a cellphone which is only 50000 worth?
If this initiative is not taken then govt can’t stop this.pakistan is the only country where this tax is to pay by the people.
They can’t stop smuggling because Pakistani govt is involved in this.
Assalam O Alaikum sir Mera manna hai Pakistan me 1 mobile Ka tax admi ky liye 75% sy Kam kr ky 20% kr dein Yani Jo tax 27000 hai usy ap 8sy 10 hazar Kar dein ta ky Jo awam patcher ko pay krti hai wahi Gov mt ko day de or log aisa kam na krein Jo 27000 Ka Kam 3 sy 4hazar me krte hein wahi apko 8 sy 10 hazar me krwa Kar awam Khush ho Jaye gi or ap bhi easy awam bhi.or ye sab I’d card sy ho or Jo log 2 sy ziyada mobile ka tax pay krein unky liye ap tax brhate jayein MATLAB ky 3 device ky bad 12k karein tax .
I think the taxes and duties must be low as every ordnery person should be able to pay. It will curb the smuggling as well will increase the revenue of govt. Main reason for smuggling is high taxes and duties.
PTA and FBR .andu pana na kartey to log aaj bhi max slab 31520/-Rs tax pay kartey and government ko revenue generate kar k dete.
In PTA there is lots of idiots who don’t know market price. For example Samsung Galaxy S9 price was 1000$ when its reales but now a days this device price is around 100$ but still PTA Choors looting Pakistani human Donkeys and charging lots of Tax. But Pakis is real Ghulam,
PTA is another hurdle in tax collection besides FBR.
That is not correct
Pta has to decrease the pta tax not to crackdown these sites
Also many people use non pta iPhone
What pta does upon on those people nothing
Government must reduce taxes on such devices to induce people for paying legal taxes. It’s a pity that I paid 89,000 (using passport for a 2nd hand 1½ year old phone which was purchased for $500) on S22+ this year. This is quite insane as they don’t reduce taxes on used old model phones too.
PTA is doing a daylight robbery. No other country in the world has such a high tax.
Pta ka chota sa idara Hy, Jo telecom companies Sy Billions rupees leyti Hy permit or license k name per or phirr telecom companies hamy mehengi tareen services deyti Hy. Phirr awam jab ye mehengi services use kerti Hy to us p Witholding tax or sales tax b pay kerti Hy.
Ab AK choty Sy idary ki ayyashia Kam perrahi thi k phones per b huge taxes lagadiye….
Inka pait Q Nahi bherta…
Why govt didnt finish this illegal tax from mobile users…also if these taxes are nominal or affordable why people goes for these illegal ways…govt force them to do so..as in many cases PTA duty is more then mobile actual price or equal to its cost…this PTA tax is not justified in any manner..
Taxes increase day by day and people do not buy any phone in low budget there for people use illegal method
If you can spent 450,000 on phone, you can pay the 150,000 Tax on it.