The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the property tax bill proposed by the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI).
The IHC on June 17 suspended the said bill and has summoned answers from the federal government and other related authorities.
While hearing the petition filed by Ahmad Hassan Rana, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro passed the order to withhold the property tax bill of the MCI.
Ahmad Hussain Rana challenged both the gazette notification for the year 2024 and the property tax bill proposed in April 2026.
Following the court order, notices have been sent to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of the Cabinet Division.
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, in his order, has also sought answers from the officials of the MCI and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
During the hearing, the petitioner argued that the property tax bill clearly violates the rules framed under the laws of 1958 and 2015.
The petitioner argued that MCI does not have the legal authority to impose a property tax based on the annual value of buildings and land.
According to the petition, the gazette notification should be declared null and void, as it was issued without lawful authority.
After suspending the property tax measure, the court adjourned the hearing for four weeks and directed the respondents to file their replies.
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