Sehri-time tax operations trigger public protests

296 units sealed, Rs2.768 million recovered in Pindi during Ramazan

RAWALPINDI:

The Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has launched an unusual early-morning "grand operation" to recover property tax arrears from defaulters in Rawalpindi's upscale and commercial areas, prompting strong public protest.

Excise inspectors have been visiting homes between 3am and 5am during sehri (the pre-dawn meal in Ramazan), or immediately afterwards, demanding production of tax bills. Where payment has not been made, property units are being sealed on the spot.

From Ramazan 1 to 10, a total of 296 property units were sealed, and recoveries amounting to Rs2.768 million were made.

Residents have condemned the sehri recovery drive, arguing that it is neither fair nor appropriate for officials to create a scene outside homes at such hours, seal properties and collect payments under pressure.

Excise officials, however, maintain that when teams visit defaulters during the day, occupants often fail to present themselves despite being at home.

They say they have been instructed by higher authorities to carry out recoveries during iftar and sehri hours, adding that their own meals are also disrupted in the process. "If defaulters pay their taxes on time, there will be no need for visits," an official said.

Despite the operation and the sealing of property units, the property tax shortfall has not fallen below 52 per cent.

Meanwhile, in a separate effort to boost revenue, the department has permitted the re-registration in Punjab of vehicles originally registered in other provinces - including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.