Notice sent to Imran’s late mother for luxury house tax

LAHORE: The Punjab Excise and Taxation Department has issued a notice to Imran Khan’s mother, the late Shaukat Khanum, for assessment of luxury house tax.

The notice to assess the luxury house tax has been served on the Zaman Park residence where Imran currently resides.

The notice issued on Thursday directs Khan to clear arrears under the luxury tax amounting to Rs3.6 million. According to sources, the Excise Department dispatched a two-member team comprising ETO Adeel Amjad and Inspector Amna Rashid to Zaman Park, Lahore, to deliver the notice. According to a notification available with The News, the notice was served in the name of Imran Khan’s late mother Ms Shaukat Khanum’s Zaman Park residence. The late Ms Khanum, a housewife, passed away around 38 years ago in 1985 due to cancer. The property continues to be in her name. To deliver the notice, a two-person Excise and Taxation team traveled to Zaman Park. The PTI chairman owes Rs3.6 million in taxes. It was also alleged that if no compliance with the notice is made, the Election Commission of Pakistan would be approached. However, talking to The News, Adeel Amjid, an Excise Officer, said that in case of failure to comply with the notice, an ex-parte assessment will be conducted. He further added that Excise Department would not approach the Election Commission if Imran Khan does not cooperate because it was not the domain of the Excise Department to move the ECP. He rejected the element of political victimisation, and added that Excise Department had decided to go through an assessment of all luxury homes of two or more than two Kanals.

The excise officials chose not to comment when asked why they delayed the notice while the law came into effect via Finance Act, 2014. When the reporter contacted Chaudhary Fawad and Aslam Iqbal for Imran Khan’s version, they did not respond.