Lahore: Sealing of shops at Lakshmi Chowk challenged

[Naveed Yaseen]

LAHORE: A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court (SC), challenging Section 5-A of the Punjab Immovable Property Tax Act, 1958 relating to the sealing of shops for non-payment of property tax.

The Punjab government, through the excise secretary, the excise and taxation director general and excise and taxation officer, has been made respondent in the petition. The petitioners, Fareeduddin Nasir and five others, submitted they were given the possession of shops Nos 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8, in Sarjit Building, Lakshmi Chowk, under Compensation and Rehabilitation of Displaced Person Act, 1958.

Their counsel, Muhammad Azhar Siddique, stated the petitioners were sent notices of property tax worth Rs 4 million, after which their shops were sealed. The counsel stated the case of their ownership was still in court, and that until the case of their ownership was settled, the Punjab government owned these shops. He said the petitioners were exempted from property tax until then.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg13_6