Wapda even not sparing mosques, worship places from paying taxes in bills

Rawalpindi:Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) even does not spare mosques in collecting inflated bills across country. The different taxes mentioned in the bills have nothing to do with the mosques and other worship places.

Intensity of the situation can be gauged in such a way that Imam of the mosques had to ask Namzis to donate ‘Chanda’ as the bills are so much high as these bills cannot be paid through normal donations collected specifically during Friday prayers.

This issue came to light when Imams of several mosques announced in the mosque loudspeakers and urged Namazis (Worshipers) to take part in maximum donation as the electricity bills were received with inflated rate and mosques are unable to pay such exorbitant bills. They announced that scorching heat and humidity of May, June, July and August is unbearable and air conditioning system of the mosque are bearing the extra load and these mosques could not switch off these air conditions during prayers time with a large number of worshipers in the mosques, especially on Friday prayers.

It should be remembered that mosques and other worship places do not involve in generating any income or carrying out any commercial activities. In some cases some shops are built in the mosques’ building in order to bear the expenses of mosques including paying salaries of Imam, Khadims, utility bills and maintenance work of the mosques through rents. If we go through the normal bills we find several taxes which have been collected for last several years. The lay man is completely ignorant from such taxes. While it is unfair to collect these taxes from worship places like mosques, churches, temples, Imambargas and from other worship places.

When contacted Wapda high official in Mareer Hassan who said that this the policy of the government and he has no authority to give any exemption in mosque bills as these are being charged at residential rate. He said that he would discuss this issue with his high ups and hopes with good results. The mosques also face same problems in winter but this time with gas when freezing water oozing from taps, this makes Namazis uneasy to do ablution without warm water. The gas companies should also review their tariff of winter season so that they may not face such a massive problems faced by Wapda.