MANSEHRA: The Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench has stopped the excise and taxation department from sealing hotels in Kaghan Valley over non-payment of “bed tax” until further orders.

Justice Ijaz Khan provided relief to hotel owners over their petition against the imposition of 10 per cent bed tax.

Saqib Khan Lughmani, lawyer for Kaghan Hoteliers Association president Seth Matiullah, told reporters here on Friday that the petition challenged dual taxation.

He said besides others, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority, aprovincial entity, too, was unfairly receiving tax from Kaghan hotel owners.

Hotel owners challenge ‘dual taxation’

Mr Lughmani said the valley’s hospitality industry operated for two to three months in the summer, so it couldn’t pay the bed tax.

“Officials of the excise and taxation department frequently visit hotels to demand the bed tax. They harass hoteliers and threaten to seal their premises,” he said.

The lawyer said the provincial government, in the Finance Act 2021, had proposed the collection of a 10 per cent tax from the hotels’ bedroom earnings, which had been challenged in the court.

“The Sindh and Punjab governments have waived bed tax, which is considered dual taxation,” he said.

Mr Lughmani said the government had enhanced the bed tax from five per centto 10 per cent and its collection period from three months for hill stations like Kaghan to six months.

He said the court ordered the fixing of the petition for early hearing.

NULLAH CLEANING: Assistant commissioner (revenue) Ali Imtiaz on Friday said nullah and sewer cleaning had begun in Mansehra city and on its outskirts to prevent damage to public life and property from monsoon rains.

“The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has issued a warning to all district administrations to clear sewerage lines and nullahs to prevent damage to public life and property during the monsoon period, so we have started acting on it in letter and spirit,” he told an open kutcheri in Huddobandi area here.

Chairman of the Safada village council Basharat Ali Swati apprised Mr Imtiaz of initiatives being taken by the council for people’s safety during the monsoon period.

The AC said the administration was also going to resume work on the Huddobandi road from the Ziarat area to the government middle school.

“We will start evening classes in all government schools after upgrading them from primary to middle, middle to high, and high to higher secondary levels,” he said.

On the occasion, Mr Basharat said the district administration would develop two dumping sites.

He also said the district police officer had ordered increased patrols in Safada village council for people’s security.

The people from Huddobandi, Safada and other adjoining villages highlighted health, education and other issues.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2024