Drive launched to recover property tax

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Excise and Taxation and Narcotics Control Department on Wednesday launched campaign for recovery of property tax and sealed two plazas and dozens of shops at Karkhano Markets in Peshawar, mostly known for smuggled foreign goods.

Secretary Excise and Taxation Riaz Khan Mehsud said the action was taken as per verdict of the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

He said a number of commercial plazas and shops were required to pay their taxes for the past 16 years but they constantly avoided paying taxes to the government. He said the PHC had brought commercial and shopping plazas and shops in the Karkhano Markets under tax zone and empowered the government to collect property taxes from these business centres.

Riaz Mehsud said it was an old issue which the court had resolved and now they would implement verdict of the honourable court in letter and spirit.

He said they started action and would seal all business and commercial centres if they refused paying property taxes and clearing dues.

Riaz Mehsud said they would never harass business community or disturb their business activities if they extended cooperation with the government.

He said owners are required to pay millions of rupees of property tax to the government.

They also sealed some markets and shops in Hayatabad for their failure to pay property taxes to the government.