People are ready to give money to Afghani for garbage collection but not ready to give it to KMC legally, Administrator Karachi (Photo File)
Karachi: The Sindh High Court rejected the request of Administrator Karachi to restore municipal tax in electricity bills.
The petitions against adding municipal tax to electricity bills were heard in the Sindh High Court, where the court once again rejected the oral plea of the administrator Karachi to lift the injunction. Murtaza Wahab said that money will come to me, I will spend it honestly, you can ask again. He said that I am promoting transparency as per the law.
In front of a 2-member bench headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Jamaat-e-Islami lawyer Usman Farooq advocate stated that the written reply of KMC did not come in our case. Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi remarked that what is the position of the Federation and Sindh Government? The Deputy Attorney General replied that a letter has been written to the Federation but no response has been received yet.
During the hearing, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab told the court that the excise department collects property tax. It has nothing to do with KMC. This tax has been implemented in the form of conservation and fire tax. Under Section 100 of the Local Government Act, the responsibility of tax collection can be given to a third party. We have so far collected Rs 6.5 crore as municipal tax.
On this occasion, KMC Sajjan Union President Zulfikar Shah told the court that the employees are also being badly affected. On which the court expressed indignation and remarked that the employees are also getting salary so let them work. If they were working, this fate of the city would not have happened.
Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi remarked that this case is going to happen for the first time, for this we appoint judicial assistants. Counsel K. Electric pleaded that Barrister Salahuddin and Faisal Siddiqui are proper names. The court once again rejected Murtaza Wahab’s oral plea to lift the restraining order and appointed former Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan and senior lawyer Munir A. Malik as judicial assistants.
The court adjourned the hearing till October 26 and directed the court assistants and lawyers of the parties to prepare and come.
Talking to the media after the hearing, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab said that the legal requirements related to tax collection were fulfilled. No new tax has been imposed. In the last 10 days, 7 lakh 43 thousand users paid this tax. The money that has come is the trust of the people of Karachi. With this money, roads will be built, bridges will be built, drains will be cleaned.
He said that don’t get involved in this tax. Those who are against healing are against this transparent system. 35 rupees are given to PTV every month but no politician ever raised any voice. Ready to pay Rs 300 to Afghani for garbage collection but not ready to give to KMC legally.
In response to a question, Murtaza Wahab said that we were not consulted to hold local elections on October 23. The police come from other districts and if something happens tomorrow, then the Sindh government will be asked.
