A pensioner's life

I live in Islamabad and pay my taxes on a regular basis. Last year I paid my house tax which was Rs6000 or so. This year I have had to pay Rs18000, which is 25 percent of the actual tax being Rs68797 as I am a retired government servent and in my own house, any portion of which has not been rented out.

The road tax in Islamabad has also been increased manifold; for example, the road tax for an old 1800 cc car has been increased from Rs386 to Rs5000. It is not understood who, without giving any due consideration to the plight of the people and their financial conditions, arbitrarily decides these matters and imposes them on the public. Which doors should we knock at for redress of our grievances? We are pensioners and we are old, unable to do any business or take up any new job. I therefore request the honourable PM of the country to kindly issue instructions to all concerned to make separate rules for payment of such taxes in respect of senior citizens and pensioners so that they can lead a respectable life and are not dependent on their children or borrowed money from banks to meet their civic obligations on time.

Lt-Col (r) Arshad N Qureshi

Islamabad