Un-paid taxes: Gaddafi stadium reopened after being sealed briefly

The main gate of the Stadium was unsealed by the Excise and Taxation department officials after about three hours

LAHORE: Officials of the Excise and Taxation department, Punjab accompanied by dozens of police officers sealed the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore early this morning, claiming to be acting in accordance with the orders of the Honourable Lahore High Court pertaining to application of property tax.

Following the unseemly haste, the main gate of the Stadium was however unsealed by the Excise and Taxation department officials after about three hours and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials filtered into their offices to resume their daily routine after nearly an hour’s uncertainty and delay.

Since on PCB’s appeal the court had only allowed property tax from 2002 to 2004, instead of 1996-2004 which was the Excise and Taxation department’s original plea, fresh notices calculated in terms of the judgement of the Lahore High Court were yet to be issued.

Also the judgement of the Honourable Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi had not been signed till after the stadium was sealed by the Excise Department.

“We shall abide by the verdict of the court after our legal department has gone through the detailed judgement”, said the PCB chairman, Shahryar Khan.

“The PCB is a law abiding organization which duly pays all its taxes; we are perhaps the most taxed sports organization in the entire country. To the Punjab government, the PCB pays tens of millions as commercialization fee annually at the rate of 20 per cent of revenue.

“It would also be pertinent to mention here: The PCB is a non-profit organization which ploughs any and all revenue generated towards development and promotion of cricket.

“Also PCB is the only sports organisation in the country that does not seek any assistance from either federal or provincial governments.

“At the moment PCB is engaged with Cricket Zimbabwe and their team is about to become the first team in six years to visit this country. The revival of international cricket in Pakistan is the desire of every Pakistani. At such an auspicious occasion, sending such a negative signal to the international cricketing community is not in consonance with promoting the national cause."

Earlier, the Excise and Taxation department has sealed the offices of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore due to the non-payment of the property tax estimated at Rs48 million.