LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday dismissing a petition filed by Pakistan Cricket Board against levy of Rs 60.04 million property tax on Qaddafi Stadium and connected premises directed that the board was bound to pay the property tax from 2002.
However, the court exempted PCB from property tax imposed during 1996 to 2002 as the said premises were under the control of the provincial government then. Justice Ibad ur Rehman Lodhi announced the verdict which had been reserved last week after hearing arguments of parties.
Earlier, PCB’s counsel Taffazul Rizvi argued that the excise department sent it a notice to pay Rs 60 million as property tax of Qaddafi Stadium and connected premises for past 19 years. He said the Punjab government was the owner of the property in question and tax could not be levied on such property. He asked the court to set aside the tax notice issued by the excise department for being illegal.
However, a provincial law officer submitted that the PCB had obtained the said property on lease from the government for forty years.
The law officer pointed out that the board had been earning huge money by renting out its premises for commercial use like marriage halls, restaurants and shops. All these activities were subject to taxation, he said. He pleaded the court to dismiss the petition filed by the board.
