Pakistan to eliminate sales tax on sanitary products

Pakistan's finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced that the government will remove the 18% sales tax on sanitary products and the tax on contraceptives. The decision follows a court case filed by young lawyers Mahnoor Omer (25) and Ahsan Jehangir Khan (29), who argued that the charges constitute a "pink tax" on women. UNICEF estimates that only about 12% of Pakistani women use commercial sanitary items, with most relying on cheaper, often unsafe, cloth alternatives. The tax removal is intended to improve women's health, dignity and participation in education and work, and to help de‑stigmatize menstruation. UN Women welcomed the move, saying it could keep more women in the workplace and girls in school. Advocates note that additional levies, such as a 25% customs duty on imported pads and other raw‑material taxes, remain, and that affordable access for the most vulnerable women is still not guaranteed.