THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

‘Period tax’ on sanitary products to be abolished, says Pakistan minister <p>Campaigners welcome announcement cutting levies on menstrual health items, but say their work to end period poverty is ‘far from over’</p><p>Pakistan plans to abolish “period tax”, in a victory for young campaigners who had taken the government to court over the charges.</p><p>Finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced that sanitary towels and related items were “daily necessities that are indispensable for women’s health, dignity and full participation in social activities”, and said he intended to remove the sales tax.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jun/17/period-tax-sanitary-products-abolished-pakistan-minister">Continue reading...</a>

Pakistan ends sales tax on sanitary products in fight against period poverty <article data-history-node-id="443475" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pakistan-ends-sales-tax-sanitary-products-fight-against-period-poverty" class="story default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pakistan-ends-sales-tax-sanitary-products-fight-against-period-poverty" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Pakistan ends sales tax on sanitary products in fight against period poverty</span> </a> </h2> <footer> <div class="author"> Submitted by <span class="field field-uid"><a title="View user profile." href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/users/florence-ingleby" lang about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/users/florence-ingleby" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype>Florence Ingleby</a></span> on <span class="field field-created"><time datetime="2026-07-02T10:00:59+01:00" title="2 July 2026 10:00 BST">Thu, 07/02/2026 - 10:00</time> </span> </div> </footer> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-subhead">The move to abolish the 18 p…

Govt abolishes tax on sanitary pads, contraceptives Home / Business / Govt abolishes tax on sanitary pads, contraceptives Govt abolishes tax on sanitary pads, contraceptives News Desk • 4 days ago The federal government has proposed the abolition of tax on sanitary pads and contraceptives, classifying them as essential health products rather than luxury items. This legislative shift follows a September 2025 petition filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) by activist Mahnoor Omer, who challenged the taxation on the grounds that it penalised women for a biological function outside of their control. The state policy aims to address period poverty, reduce financial burdens on low-income households, and remove barriers that restrict women and girls from participating in education and the workforce. By eliminating the tax on contraceptives, the government also intends to expand access to family planning services, lower reproductive health costs and improve maternal and child health outcomes in Pakistan, which currently ranks as the fifth most populous nation globally. Following the announcement, Omer celebrated the development on social media, emphasising the role of public pressure and l…

Pakistan scraps tax on period products and contraceptives Pakistan’s government has made women’s hygiene products and contraceptives tax-free, Arab News reported. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the measures, saying these were aimed at providing relief to the masses. Women’s rights activists and organisations in Pakistan have long demanded the abolition of “period tax” — an additional charge that was added to the retail price of women’s hygiene products, such as sanitary napkins, tampons, and other related products. According to UNICEF, such an additional tax can push the retail price of sanitary pads by 40 per cent, making them inaccessible for many women and girls, especially those belonging to rural and impoverished sectors of the society. “Regarding women, it was a massive demand in this country to end the pink tax,” Arab News quoted Tarar as saying at the National Assembly session on Sunday. “Today, the tax on their hygiene products has been reduced to 0 percent from 18 percent.” The information minister mentioned that population is another serious challenge in the country, while informing the lawmakers that the government has also waived the tax on contra…

Pakistan Removes Taxes on Sanitary Pads and Contraceptives: Pink Tax ... The federal government’s Budget 2026–27 has introduced a widely welcomed decision to abolish taxes on sanitary pads and contraceptives, marking a significant step toward improving public health access, gender equity, and family welfare planning across Pakistan. The move has been praised as both a social and policy shift that directly addresses long-standing concerns around affordability of essential health products. At the heart of this decision is the recognition that menstrual hygiene products are not luxury items, but basic necessities for women and girls. By removing taxes on sanitary pads, the government is aiming to reduce the financial burden on households, particularly those in lower-income communities where access to safe menstrual care has often been limited. Advocates argue that this step directly tackles “period poverty,” a challenge that affects education, mobility, and dignity for millions of women in the country. Alongside this, the abolition of taxes on contraceptives has also been highlighted as an important part of Pakistan’s broader population management strategy, commonly referred to as …

Budget 2026: Govt Abolishes Tax on Sanitary Pads and Menstrual Products The federal government has announced the removal of the sales tax on sanitary pads and other menstrual hygiene products as part of the Budget 2026–27, a move aimed at making essential healthcare items more affordable for the public. Under the new budget measures, the existing18 percent sales taxon sanitary pads has been abolished. The exemption also extends to other menstrual and reproductive health products, including tampons, condoms, and contraceptive medicines. Officials say the decision has been taken to improve access to basic hygiene products and reduce the financial burden on women and families. The move has been widely welcomed by health advocates and social welfare groups, who have long called for tax relief on essential sanitary items. The tax exemption is part of a broader set of public welfare measures introduced in the federal budget. Supporters of the initiative believe it could help increase awareness about menstrual health while making hygiene products more accessible, particularly for low-income households. While the announcement has been positively received, experts note that the full be…

Has Pakistan Just Scrapped The Period Tax? Share: Since the beginning of human life on Earth, women have had periods. It is natural. It brings life to this planet. However, for much of recorded history, their concerns regarding reproductive hygiene have been ignored. From leaves to rags, to expensive period products, women use it all. Some might attribute this to patriarchy, others to poverty, and some to lack of awareness. The reason does not matter as much as what is being done to counter it in the 21st century. Pakistan, a developing nation of the Global South, which is regularly mentioned in international media for its gender violence rates, has just tried to counter this problem. The Finance Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Aurangzeb, proposed in the FY 2026–27 national budget that the 18 per cent tax on tampons, sanitary pads and contraceptive medicines should be removed. For women of Pakistan, specifically those vocal about “period tax” and “pink tax,” this came as a moment of personal victory. Aiza Tanveer Iqbal, a vocal advocate of women’s rights and a master’s student at the National Defence University, Islamabad, said, “When I watched the news online, I could not believe …

Tax to be abolished on female hygiene products - Pakistan - Business ... Pakistan Tax to be abolished on female hygiene products The new budget prioritizes women's health by eliminating taxes on sanitary pads and contraceptives Published June 16, 2026 Updated June 16, 2026 01:58pm Save Saved 3 min Summary new comment Comments AI Overview (with editorial review) Brief AI Generated summary The government's Budget 2026-27 proposes removing taxes on sanitary pads and contraceptives, declaring them essential, while unveiling an Rs18.77 trillion budget aimed at economic growth and relief. Read the full article for: Tax removal on sanitary pads and contraceptive products. Sanitary pads declared essential health and hygiene products. Key features of the Rs18.77 trillion federal budget. By BR Web Desk Add BRecorder as a trusted source on Google The government has proposed removing taxes on sanitary pads in the recently passed Budget 2026-27 . The government has declared them an essential health and hygiene product for women nationwide. Also, the government has removed tax on contraceptive products as part of measures aimed at controlling population growth. Speaking exclusively to Business …

Pakistan moves to slash period tax, after legal challenge by two ... - CNN Women and girls in Punjab, Pakistan, queue at a health unit in August, 2025. The government is set to abolish the so-called "period tax," a reform that could make sanitary products more accessible. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images The Middle East Asia Taxes See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Pakistan’s government is set to abolish sales tax on sanitary products , in a sweeping new measure that reproductive justice advocates say could de-stigmatize ubiquitous social taboos around sexual health. The planned withdrawal of the 18% sales tax on sanitary items and contraceptives, announced as part of the country’s fiscal budget last week, comes after a campaign for improved access to commercial period products in a nation where only a tiny proportion of woman currently use them. Such items are “indispensable for women’s health, dignity and full participation in social activities,” said Muhammad Aurangzeb, the finance minister, on Friday. Aurangzeb said the government would also abolish tax on contraceptives, citing the country’s “alarming” population growth. “Pakistan is the fifth-…