Fundamental rights have been enshrined in our Constitution Chapter 1 of the Constitution contains articles about the fundamental rights. Articles 8 to 28 of Constitution deal with the all fundamental rights provided to the citizens of Pakistan. The question, therefore, arises: Can the state prohibit the non-filers of income tax to purchase property?
Business Recorder op-ed writers, Huzaima Bukhari and Dr Ikramul Haq, in their op-ed "Punishing non-filers!" carried by the newspaper yesterday, have plausibly argued that "the condition that non-filers cannot purchase property is neither reasonable nor in public interest. Why should a non-resident, not liable to tax in Pakistan or a resident having exempt or below taxable income, be forced to file a return in order to acquire property exceeding Rs 5 million?"