Residents to protest increase in taxes

MANSEHRA: Residents of Ghazikot Township on Tuesday threatened to block the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in protest if the increases in different taxes and fees imposed by the Mansehra Development Authority were not withdrawn within a week.

“The MDA has failed to provide adequate services to residents settled in Ghazikot Township but enhanced all sorts of taxes and fees to a level where we cannot afford it at any cost,” Bashiruddin Tanoli, the former deputy tehsil nazim, told reporters after a meeting attended largely by residents of Ghazikot Township here.

The meeting, which was also attended by Shujahat Ali Saraf, Raza Khan, Inamul Haq, Imtiaz Shah Sardar Khan, Bashir Khan, Haroon Awan and others, warned MDA to withdraw such huge increases in taxes and fees or else they would block the KKH in protest.

“Would you believe the monthly water tariff has been enhanced to Rs1600 from Rs400,” Tanoli said. He said that fees for drawing, plots, house transferring and non-objection certificates on construction had been increased manifold, putting an extra financial burden on the residents.

He said that the meeting participants were unanimous in blocking KKH outside Ghazikot Township if the MDA didn’t reverse the exorbitant taxes and fees.Meanwhile, Assistant Director MDA Zakar Hussain Jadoon assured the residents that he would bring the increase to a reasonable level.

“I am going to call a meeting of the finance department, which is responsible for such decisions and assure you that taxes and fees would be brought to a reasonable level,” he told the representatives of the residents.