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SHC restricts collection of KMC taxes with electricity bills for now

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  • SHC remarks applying municipal charges via KE is inappropriate.
  • Says it will restore tax collection if city administration satisfies it.
  • Restricts KMC from collecting taxes under KE bills till next hearing.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday temporarily restricted the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) from collecting municipal taxes with electricity bills.

The court remarked that the tax collection will be restored when the city administration satisfies it over the matter.

The directive came during the hearing of a plea filed on September 23, by Jamat-e-Islami leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, against KMC’s tax collection in K-Electric bills.

Under the Sindh Local Government Act 2021, the provincial government had in April directed the power utility to collect municipal utility charges and taxes (MUTC).

As per an agreement signed between the KMC and K-Electric (KE), the former aims to earn an estimated Rs3 billion yearly by collecting MUCT, through KE’s power bills.

Under the agreement, the power utility would keep 7% of the amount as its collection charges, which amounts to Rs300 million.

An official of the KMC said the KE would collect the tax from 24 million units across the city. 

Today’s hearing

During today’s hearing, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab informed the court that the KMC taxes range from Rs50 to Rs200, requesting the court not to restrict the tax collection now. He assured the court of presenting all the details at the next hearing.

“Taxes as high as Rs5,000 have been waived and reduced to Rs200,” he said.

At this, the court told Wahab to make recoveries through third parties.

“Make the recoveries however you want but not through KE,” it remarked.

The court also restricted KE not to cut off power connections of consumers who are unable to pay the taxes.

“Earlier, the taxes were going to someone else’s pockets but now KMC will receive it,” Wahab contended.

When asked about what facilities the city administration would give to the citizens in exchange of taxes, Wahab said that the taxes will be used in construction of roads, underpasses and bridges.

“Will you do all [your] work with people’s money?” the court inquired.

“The Centre is giving a lot of money to the province. Karachi is provided with funds like alms (bheek),” Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi.

He rebuked Wahab referring to the dilapidation of roads and other infrastructural faults and increasing robberies in the city.

At this, Wahab said that KMC has the responsibility of 209 roads.

“If you are doing all of the work then what is the Sindh government doing?” the justice asked.

He objected to why “double charges” are imposed on the people when they are already paying property and motor vehicle taxes.

“Applying municipal charges through KE is not appropriate,” the court remarked while restricting KMC from collecting the municipal taxes with electricity bills till the next hearing. 

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Lahore, PP-161: LHC deems the ECP recounting order null and invalid

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Farrukh Javed, the victorious candidate, filed a petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order to recount the votes in PP-161 before a single bench of the high court, led by Justice Shahid Karim, was formed.

The bench dismissed the ECP’s order to recount the votes in the constituency and accepted the petition.

The PML-N candidate Umar Sohail filed a petition for a vote recount with the electoral commission, according to Unmute Farrukh Javed MPA’s court plea.

Per the petitioner, the electoral commission issued a notice of vote recount after granting the second-place candidate’s request.

In his view, the election process was not yet over when the ECP issued the order for a vote recount.

The ECP’s order for the recounting of ballots in provincial constituency PP-161 was revoked by the bench after it allowed the petition.

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The LHC has issued a summons regarding the policy on wheat procurement.

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The court was considering a petition filed by the Punjab farmers challenging the province government’s decision to decline purchasing wheat from them.

The petitioner alleged that the government is legally obligated to procure wheat from farmers at the designated price and had publicised a policy to purchase wheat from farmers at Rs 3,900 per maund. However, the government has failed to put this policy into effect.

The Punjab government was scheduled to commence the procurement of wheat from farmers on April 22. However, there has been no progress thus far in the wheat purchase, thereby exposing farmers to the risk of selling their harvests at reduced prices as a result of rainfall.

The petitioner implored the court to mandate the government’s procurement of wheat from farmers and to initiate measures against the mafia.

Punjab farmers have filed a petition with the Lahore High Court (LHC) to challenge the government’s decision to not purchase their wheat.

Following an initial hearing on the case, Justice Shahid Karim, the judge of the LHC, requested a documentation of the Punjab government’s choices pertaining to wheat purchase.

Punjab’s farmers are currently protesting the government’s decision to postpone the purchase of wheat from them.

Yesterday, insiders from the Food Department disclosed that the Punjab government has not yet made a decision regarding the procurement of wheat.

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Lahore experiences a winter-like ambiance following rainfall.

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Lahore’s maximum temperature has significantly decreased due to recent rainfall in the province capital over the past 24 hours.

Jail Road saw a rainfall of 8.5 millimeters, Gulberg received 10 millimeters, and Lakshmi Chowk received 14 millimeters of rainfall. In addition, Upper Mall received a rainfall measurement of 5 millimeters, Mughalpura received 3.5 millimeters, and Tajpura received 3 millimeters.

In addition, Nishtar Town received a rainfall of 1 millimeter, Pani Wala Talab received 12 millimeters, Farukh Abad received 4 millimeters, Gulshan Ravi received 20 millimeters, Iqbal Town received 6 millimeters, Samanabad received 8 millimeters, and Johar Town received 1 millimeter.

The city’s electricity transmission infrastructure has been significantly affected by the rain, resulting in the tripping of over 100 Lesco feeders. Multiple localities had power outages as a result of tripped feeders and other technical malfunctions.

Power outages have resulted in substantial discomfort for people in several localities, including as Manawan, Batapur, Sabzazar, Gulshan Ravi, Samanabad, Pir Nasir, Mughalpura, Shalimar, Mustafa Abad, Baghbanpura, Ferozpur Road, Islampura, Qila Gujjar Singh, and Walton Road.

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