Gujranwala Cantt Board barred from recovering tax

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday restrained Gujranwala Cantonment Board from recovering the alleged exorbitant tax on urban immovable properties from over a dozen petitioners.

Besides issuing the stay order, Justice Shahid Karim also sought replies from the defence ministry, Punjab government and Gujranwala Cantonment Board to explain under what law the cantonment board was levying the tax on the urban immovable properties in a mechanical and arbitrary manner. Representing the petitioners, Advocate Sheraz Zaka argued that after 18th Amendment the tax on the immovable property fell within the domain of the province and it was Punjab Urban Immovable Property Act 1958 that could levy the tax on urban immovable property in cantonments.