Property dealers protest against ‘professional tax’

Rawalpindi
A large number of property dealers staged a protest demonstration here on Thursday against what they claimed imposition of additional ‘professional tax’ on them in comparison to other commercial segments by the Punjab government and announced that they would not pay it till reduction of its amount.
The property dealers, belonging to the Rawalpindi district, gathered at the Rawalpindi Press Club (RPC) on the call of the Rawalpindi Property Dealers Association and took out a protest procession to Committee Chowk, carrying banners and placards inscribed with different slogans against the Excise and Taxation Department.
As protesters proceeded towards Committee Chowk, the entire traffic plying between Mareer Chowk and Committee Chowk came to a standstill causing hardships for motorists and commuters. The traffic wardens seemed helpless to smoothen the flow of traffic till the end of the demonstration.
The protesters were led by Rawalpindi Property Dealers Association Chairman Raja Abid Mahmood and its president, Liaquat Ali, who also addressed the demonstrators along with other office-bearers.
They said that after the imposition of the ‘professional tax’ by the government, the property dealers approached the concerned authorities in the Excise and Taxation Department for getting compensation. However, despite great assurances, the property dealers were not provided any kind of remedy. Thereafter, they met the elected local representatives in the Punjab government with the purpose of redressal of what they termed their prime problem. During meeting with the elected representatives, the property dealers made a humble request for taking the matter into the Punjab Assembly. Ironically, the elected representatives did not pay any heed to their demands which were made time and again, they said.
Raja Abid Mahmood alleged that the property dealers are ready to pay ‘professional tax’ equivalent to other businessmen like jewellers, owners of convenience stores, doctors and lawyers. However, the Excise and Taxation Department, on the directions of the Punjab government as claimed by its authorities, is claiming more ‘professional tax’ from them compared to other businessmen.
On the occasion, Raja Abid Mahmood, Liaquat Ali and other representatives, in their speeches, said that they would stage a sit-in outside the residences of elected representatives of the Punjab Assembly, if the government failed to withdraw its decision of claiming more ‘professional tax’ from the property dealers.