Imposition of property tax challenged in AJK HC

MIRPUR (AJK): Recent imposition of property tax in Azad Jammu and Kashmir including Mirpur district, has been challenged in AJK High Court on Thursday.

Single-bench of AJK High Court comprising Justice Azhar Salim Baber issued interim relief order accepting two identical writ petitions which challenged the imposition of property tax in Azad Jammu Kashmir under the Property Tax Act 1974. The court issued notice to the concerned parties.

The petitioner Zulfiqar Ahmed Raja Advocate contended in the petition that Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly has no constitutional and legal powers to pass the Property Tax Act 2015 and Property Tax Rules 2015.

It has further been contended that the people of AJK are already paying income tax under section 15 of Income Tax Ordinance 2001 while, AJK Legislative Assembly had re-imposed the same income tax on the rental income which falls in the category of the imposition of double taxation and contradictory to the law and constitution.

The AJK HC also accepted an identical writ petition filed by a local property owner Faiz Rasool challenging the imposition of property tax by the AJK government through an interpretation/amendment in the law by AJK Legislative Assembly.

The AJK HC issued interim stay order suspending the government order about collection of levies in form of property tax from the property owners in AJK, by accepting both the writ petitions for regular hearing, serving notices to all the concerned parties to appear before the court on next date of hearing.