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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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The IHC upholds Bushra Bibi’s request to be transferred from Bani Gala to Adiala Jail.

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Bushra Bibi’s request to be transferred from Bani Gala to Adiala Jail was granted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday.

The former first lady Bushra Bibi’s application to be transferred from Bani Gala sub-jail to Adiala was heard today.

Details reveal that the Islamabad High Court heard a motion to restore the denied petition about the relocation of Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI founder, from sub-jail Bani Gala to Adiala.

The application for the reinstatement of appeal was heard by Justice Miagul Hassan Aurangzeb. When state attorney Abdul Rehman entered the courtroom on behalf of the state, Usman Riaz Gill represented the former first lady.

State counsel did not object to the appeal being restored during court proceedings. At the following hearing, the court asked for assistance in determining what conditions must be met for a location to be designated as a sub-jail.

The court also mandated that Bushra Bibi’s medical examination be scheduled. The court subsequently delayed the hearing and gave instructions to fix the appeal for April 22.

Recall that the attorneys for former first lady Bushra Bibi, Barrister Salman Safdar, Usman Riaz Gill, and Khalid Yusuf Chaudhary, had filed an application to restore the dismissed appeal a day ago, but the Islamabad High Court had denied their request to pursue the case.

The petition contended that the traffic gridlock at the Sarina Chowk checkpoint was the reason for the delay in getting to the court.

The attorneys did not purposefully take their time getting to court. They warned that the petitioner would suffer irreversible loss if the petition was not resurrected.

IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb has voiced his displeasure at the absence of attorneys from the court.

According to Judge Aurangzeb, the former first lady would have been imprisoned if Bushra Bibi’s attorneys had prevailed in this case. The attorneys themselves were opposed to Bushra Bibi’s incarceration.

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oath-taking ceremony for the Balochistan cabinet postponed

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The Balochistan cabinet’s oath-taking ceremony, which was supposed to take place at the Governor’s House today (Thursday), has been rescheduled.
The Governor’s House spokeswoman announced that the Balochistan cabinet’s swearing-in event has been postponed. Nevertheless, there was no explanation provided for the ceremony’s postponement.

It is important to note that the 14-member Balochistan cabinet, which consists of two members from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and six ministers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was set to take the oath of office today, Thursday.

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PMD forecasts rain throughout the majority of the nation.

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During the next 24 hours (Thursday–Friday), the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted rain, windstorms, thunderstorms, and a few torrential downpours or hailstorms throughout the majority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Islamabad, Punjab, and Balochistan.

In several areas of Sindh, a rain-windstorm/thunderstorm is anticipated. Much of Balochistan is being hit by a powerful westerly wave trough, which is expected to spread to the top regions by April 18.

Prolonged downpours have the potential to cause flash flooding in Balochistani local streams and drains, particularly in Gwadar, Jiwani, Pasni, Ormara, Kech, Awaran, Kharan, Panjgur, Washuk, Noshki, Lasbela, Khuzdar, and Kalat.

On April 18–20, heavy rains could cause flash floods in tributaries of the Kabul River as well as in Dir, Swat, Chitral, Kohistan, Manshera, Gilgit–Baltistan, Kashmir, and other areas.

Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are among the regions where landslides may occur.

At this time, standing crops, power poles, cars, solar panels, and other objects may sustain damage from wind, hail, and lightning, according to meteorologists.

Upper Sindh and Balochistan saw rain, wind, and thunderstorms in the past 24 hours. During the era, there were also significant rainfalls in South Balochistan. Wednesday’s highs of 42 degrees Celsius in Mithi kept it as the country’s hottest spot.

Officials reported that lightning-related storm-related occurrences claimed the lives of at least 65 people in Pakistan, where the rate of precipitation in April has so far been roughly twice that of previous years. Floods and house collapses were caused by heavy downpours that occurred between Friday and Monday. Lightning claimed 28 lives.

32 people, including 15 children, have killed and over 1,300 homes have been damaged in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has suffered the greatest victim count.

The meteorological experts report that there is little probability of rain, despite the fact that drizzle fell in numerous areas of Karachi.

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