Jamaat-e-Islami’s parliamentary leader in municipal council, Saif-ud-Din Advocate, has declared a protest against the illegal collection of municipal taxes on electric bills in Karachi. Expressing disappointment, Saif-ud-Din criticized the lack of consultation with Jamaat-e-Islami and PTI, alleging that the assembly’s adjournment and sudden introduction of the agenda amounted to deceit. “Unfortunately, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) considers deceit and deception as politics,” Saif-ud-Din lamented. The issue of municipal tax collection was not included in the agenda presented during the city council’s meeting. The sudden emergence of the matter during the session under an interim agenda caught the opposition by surprise. “We will challenge the violation of court orders regarding municipal tax collection, as the issue was not discussed with us before,” said Saif-ud-Din. He criticized the budget allocation of PKR 80 billion for electricity in the budget, alleging that instead of the tax’s collection, the mayor had been assigned the task of “milk collection.”
“Municipality will not make the city prosperous by embezzling public funds. At present, the Sindh government’s municipal department has become a symbol of corruption and incompetence,” he added. Saif-ud-Din Advocate emphasized that the municipal tax, in addition to the toll tax, is akin to overburdening the citizens of Karachi. “We oppose toll tax collection and municipal tax, as both were not part of the agenda but were suddenly presented during the meeting.
