Tax collection: Tussle between Balakot admin, police deepens

Tensions escalated when contractors were stopped from collecting levies from tourists

MANSEHRA: A dispute arose between Balakot Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) and the police over the collection of taxes from tourists visiting Kaghan Valley.

The tensions escalated between both sides when the police stopped employees of a private contractor from collecting taxes from tourists and uprooted their barriers some two days back.

The TMA and tehsil council have threatened to protest against the police for interfering in the official work of the tehsil government.

While speaking to journalists on Saturday, Balakot tehsil nazim Haji Rustam Khan said the tehsil council adopted a resolution and decided to impose an entry tax on tourists visiting Kaghan Valley.

He added that while implementing the resolution, the TMA had authorised tax collection to a private contractor for Rs7.85 million, who installed a barrier near Garlat two months back and charged Rs100 from each tourist vehicle.

“Two days back, a police team headed by Balakot SHO Arshad Khan, forcibly barred the contractor’s staff from collecting the tax and instead registered cases against them.”

He said this move interfered with the work of tehsil council which was representing over 300,000 voters of the tehsil.

Rustam Khan said since the barrier was erected in line with the resolution of the council, they would not allow police to create hurdles.

“We held talks with the provincial government officials and will take to the streets if the police barred the staff from collecting tax.”

When contacted, Balakot SHO Arshad Khan confirmed he barred the staff of the private contractor from collecting tax after receiving directions from the DPO, who was approached by the chief engineer of National Highway Authority (NHA).

He said the chief engineer registered a complaint against erecting a barrier on a point that was the property of NHA. He quoted the chief engineer as saying that the collection of tax from tourists was the right of NHA instead of TMA.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2016.