The Excise and Taxation Dept barred from sealing club premises. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: Last week the Lahore High Court barred the Excise and Taxation Department from sealing the facilities of Lahore Gymkhana Club.
The club’s secretary, Aulad Hussain Rizvi, had filed a petition saying that the club was an association incorporated under Companies Ordinance, 1984. He said on December 28, he had received a notice from the Taxation Department warning him that the club’s property would be sealed if Rs341,7892 was not paid.
He said prior to this notice, he had received letters on June 21 and 25, 2013 from the department titled “payment of property tax in respect of property unit number SE-30R-3 known as Lahore Gymkhana.” He said the tax liability had earlier been fixed at Rs189,727,28.
He said he had challenged these letters before the court which had referred the matter to the Excise and Taxation director on June 28, 2013.
He said following the court orders, he had filed an appeal before the director. He said there was no progress on the case so far. He said meanwhile, the Excise and Taxation had sent him another notice.
He said while the department must not be allowed to seal the property or issue warnings while the appeal was pending. He asked the court to restrain the department from demanding tax.
He also asked the court to issue directions to the department to treat the club as a not-for-profit organisation.
Illegal detention
An LHC bailiff recovered a woman and her daughter from a Toba Tek Singh police lock up. The court issued directions to the Toba Tek Singh DPO to take action against SHO Ijaz Ahmed for illegally detaining a woman and her child. The woman told the court that the SHO was demanding a bribe.
Pervez Musharraf
The Lahore High Court overruled an objection from the registrar’s office and admitted for preliminary hearing a petition questioning the “unnecessary” media coverage of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf.
Advocate Afaq Ahmad had filed the petition, saying that Musharraf abrogated the Constitution twice and imposed emergency in the country. He said the election commission disqualified him from contesting the elections. The lawyer said a special court was trying Musharraf for treason charges but he had been given unnecessary media coverage.
‘Disrespecting’ a judge
The LHC took “serious” notice of inconveniencing of Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi.
LHC Registrar Sardar Ahmad Naeem asked the Punjab police inspector general to hold an inquiry into the matter and submit a detailed report in this regard.
Justice Kasi was travelling to Lahore via motorway in his staff car without official protocol on January 9. While exiting the motorway, his car was stopped at a police check post at Thokar to allow another motorcade to pass through.
Garment City
The LHC on Friday reserved verdict on a petition against acquisition of land by the government to set up a garment city in Sheikhupura. Justice Ayesha A Malik reserved the verdict after hearing arguments of the petitioner and the respondent.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2014.
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