Petition in SHC Seeks 40% Tax Exemption on Sanitary Napkins

News Desk

Karachi: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to the Attorney General of Pakistan and other respondents on a petition challenging the imposition of a 40% tax on sanitary napkins, terming it discriminatory and a violation of fundamental rights.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry and Justice Jafar Raza heard the petition filed by citizen Alisha Shabbir and directed all parties to submit their responses within two weeks.

The petitioner argued that the government’s heavy taxation on the raw materials used to manufacture sanitary napkins has made them unaffordable for millions of women and girls across the country. She contended that this policy undermines the constitutional rights to health and life guaranteed under Articles 9 and 14 of the Constitution.

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The petition calls for sanitary napkins to be classified as essential items and seeks their exemption under the Sales Tax Act, 1990. It also recommends that the raw materials used in their production be placed under the Eighth Schedule to ensure that tax relief is passed on to consumers.

The petitioner further maintained that treating sanitary napkins as “non-essential” and subjecting them to heavy taxation constitutes a violation of women’s basic rights and amounts to gender-based economic discrimination.

The court admitted the plea for hearing and directed the respondents, including the federal government, to submit their replies within two weeks.