The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday restrained the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from recovery of income support levy from Maryam Nawaz and directed to decide her appeal against notice for recovery within 30 days. The court was hearing a miscellaneous application of PML-N Vice President Maryam challenging a notice demanding over Rs 1.257 million as income support levy tax for the year 2013.
Maryam's lawyer contended before the court that an appeal against the tax notice was pending before the commissioner Inland Revenue and pleaded the court to restrain the FBR from demanding the amount till the decision on the appeal. In the main petition, the PML-N leader had stated that recovery of income support levy is violation of the Constitution.
She argued that it was up to the provincial social welfare department to work towards the welfare of the public and that the Inland Revenue department lacked authority to impose and recover a tax in the name of social protection. Her counsel stated the PML-N leader had been asked to pay income support levy on her assets worth more than Rs 317 million. He demanded that the impugned notice be declared illegal and unlawful.