KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has expressed serious concern over a recent directive issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Regional Tax Office Faisalabad, targeting doctors, private clinics, and hospitals for what it describes as aggressive tax enforcement. The FBR letter, issued on December 2 under Reference No. 987, accuses the medical sector of obscuring true income and orders immediate surveys of patient fees, surgery numbers, and forced audits under Section 177 and Section 175C. The PMA has termed the move a form of harassment rather than a genuine compliance measure.
According to the PMA, the directive incorrectly treats healthcare professionals as commercial traders and ignores the humanitarian nature of medical practice. The association emphasized that doctors are essential service providers working to save lives, not business entities trading in commodities. It warned that such actions could undermine public health by discouraging private healthcare provision at a time when government facilities are already unable to meet national demand.
The association stated that private sector practitioners, particularly family physicians, are delivering critical services in difficult conditions and are often the only accessible option for patients. It said that the government’s aggressive stance reflects disregard for the population’s needs and threatens to reduce healthcare availability for the common man.
The PMA noted that doctors already face multiple financial obligations and comply with several regulatory requirements, including Pakistan Medical and Dental Council licensing fees, provincial healthcare commission fees, excise duties, sales tax on services, and regular income tax payments. It argued that the new measures are redundant and will only create anxiety and unrest within the medical community.
The association demanded that the government immediately withdraw the directives for field surveys and audits, calling them unjustified and punitive. It urged authorities to focus instead on reducing unnecessary government expenditures rather than burdening essential service providers. The PMA also suggested that doctors working domestically should be considered for tax exemptions due to their vital role in the country’s strained health system.
PMA Secretary General Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said the association stands firmly with the medical fraternity and called on the government to adopt a supportive, rather than confrontational, approach toward the professionals responsible for safeguarding public health.
