Punjab Excise Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman on Tuesday told Punjab Assembly that the property tax rates were being revised and these would be finalised by the start of next fiscal year. The property tax rates are revised after every five years, adding that the current rates were revised in 2002 and these were later extended till June 30, 2008 which were further extended till date, he informed the house.
He said there were three categories of property tax evaluation. He informed the house that a proposal to impose property tax on 5-marla house in posh areas was also under consideration. To a query the Minister said that there was no quota of liquor reserved for hotels, adding that Pearl Continental, Holiday Inn, Avari and Ambassador Hotel had the license to sell liquor.
He said liquor was being tested in laboratories for it fitness for consumption. The Minister averred that these hotels had the license of L-2 to sell foreign brand of liquor being made in Pakistan. To another question, the minister said that there were 66 steel mills/furnaces in PP-144 Zone that owed Rs 5,89,847 property tax to the provincial government.
The Minister further said that 5-Marla residential houses had been exempted from property tax under section (1) 4 of Property Tax Act 1958, adding that a proposal to tax 5-marla house in posh areas was currently under consideration. He said that Rs 277 millions property tax had been collected from 01-01-2007 to 30-06-2007.
He said under this head, Rs 839 million were collected during the period of 01-07-2008 to 31-03-2009. Responding to a question regarding the attack on Sheikh Rashid, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the attack on him was a case of terrorism and target killing. He said holding of free and fair elections was the responsibility of the Election Commission.
He rejected the allegations that the provincial government was transferring and posting the government officials including SHOs in Rawalpindi. He opined that there might be a relation of the attack on Skeikh Rashid with the Lal Masjid operation.
Sanaullah said that Chief Minister Punjab had already held meeting on the unfortunate incident and constituted a committee comprising officials of secret agencies including ISI, IB and Police. On water issue, the minister said that the link canals of Chashma and Taunsa had been built under the Indus Basin Treaty and these were instrumental in improvement of agriculture in Southern Punjab.
A number of female MPAs flayed the statement of Shahzadi Umar Zadi Tiwana MPA regarding the females members elected on the reserved seats for women. They said that the women parliamentarians were playing constructive role in the House. Later, they staged a walk out against the statement. Later on, due to lack of quorum, the House was adjourned by the Chair to meet again on Wednesday.
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