Double taxation: Hearing of DHA residents’ challenge put off to Dec 22

KARACHI:

The hearing of four identical petitions against the Pakistan Defence Officers Housing Authority (DHA) were taken up by a division bench of the High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi on Friday.

The hearing of three identical petitions, including a main one filed by the Khayaban-e-Saadi Rizwan Abbasi Residents Trust, was put off till December 22, while a fourth one was dismissed as withdrawn.

The petitioners have challenged the notices issued by DHA asking the residents to pay a “differential amount” for lease of land.

The petitioners argue that the differential lease charges are arbitrary and unilateral. The notices were served in December 2009 and January 30 was the last date for payment.

The petitioner maintains that DHA has imposed a differential amount of Rs1.7 million on plot measuring 500 square yards, Rs0.6 4 million from owner of a 300 square yard plot etc.

The petitioners’ counsel submitted that after a lapse of 16 years, demand for a closed matter was illegal and unjust.

The petitioner prays to the court to declare the impugned notices as illegal and restrain them permanently from collecting the same for being double tax.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2011.