Dawn
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04:15 Sep 18, 2025
RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench on Wednesday heard a constitutional petition challenging the sales tax on women’s sanitary napkins, with the petitioner arguing the levy treats a basic health necessity as a luxury item and perpetuates gender inequality. LHC Justice Jawad Hassan took up the petition, filed by Mahnoor Omer, which seeks to exempt sanitary pads and related products from sales tax. With the court’s approval, the petition also added the Revenue Division via its Secretary as a respondent, arguing that the tax system indirectly discriminates against women and violates constitutional rights to equality and dignity as outlined in Articles 3, 9, 14, 25 and 37. Advocate Ahsan Jehangir Khan, the petitioner’s counsel, said that only 12pc of menstruating women in Pakistan can afford commercial sanitary pads, forcing the rest to use unsafe alternatives. Petition argues levy on sanitary napkins violates gender equality rights He noted that locally manufactured sanitary products have ...