Survey reveals property tax evaders
An aerial survey conducted jointly by the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department Punjab and the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has uncovered over 15,000 upscale residences, villas, plazas, and commercial units in prominent housing societies across Rawalpindi that are not registered for property tax, commercial tax, or luxury tax.
The total number of such unregistered properties across Rawalpindi district has now risen to 28,000. Authorities have approved bringing all these tax-evading units into the official tax net. Beginning in September, tax bills will be issued to the owners of these properties, calculated according to the newly revised rates.
Following the aerial assessment, data collection for these unregistered units is now underway. All multi-storey buildings identified during the survey are also being incorporated into the tax system.
However, due to technical glitches and the recent revision of Deputy Commissioner (DC) property valuation rates, the Excise and Taxation Department has not been able to generate a single property tax bill during the first three weeks of the current fiscal year.
The main challenges include persistent system malfunctions within the PITB's digital platform and the incomplete online integration of updated DC rate data.
As a result, no property tax bills have been issued to taxpayers across the six districts of the Rawalpindi region. The DC has increased official property valuations across various areas by 10% to 27%.
According to the Director of Excise Rawalpindi, tax bills will be dispatched to all taxpayers in August, including special relief provisions valid through September 30. However, due to ongoing technical glitches, the department hasn't yet been able to issue tax bills to all eligible properties across the region.
Women assaulted over property dispute
A land dispute turned violent as opponents brutally assaulted several women in the village of Palina Maira in the Gujar Khan area of Rawalpindi.
Three men reportedly beat the women using whips and sticks, while women from the opposing party also joined in and actively took part in the assault. Police have registered a case against three men and several women involved in the incident.
The FIR was registered on the complaint of Muhammad Jameel, who stated that he was at a madrassa when he received a phone call informing him that women of his family were being assaulted.
When he reached the location, he saw his mother Rukhsana, his wife and two sisters being attacked while they were feeding cattle on their land. He alleged that Haji Muzaffar and two other men armed with whips and sticks had started brutally beating the women.
Muzaffar allegedly grabbed his wife by the arm and tore her clothes. The opposing party's women also intervened, pulling the complainant's female family members by their hair and dragging them on the ground. The root cause of the conflict, according to the FIR, is a property dispute. The complainant called for strict action, stating that the accused had committed severe violence.
Gujar Khan SHO, Inspector Malik Nazir, stated that a case has been registered and raids are under way to arrest the suspects, who will soon be taken into custody.