KARACHI: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has filed a contempt of court petition against Mayor Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, accusing him of violating the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) directives by imposing a municipality tax through electricity bills.
Saifuddin, the leader of the opposition in the City Council from JI, stated in the petition that Mayor Wahab had disregarded court orders and bypassed the legal process. He asserted that Wahab had previously assured the SHC not to impose Municipal Utility Charges and Taxes (MUCT) on consumers using less than 300 units per month.
The petition noted that Mayor Wahab had submitted an affidavit to the SHC, promising to form a committee for consultation with the opposition before seeking approval from the city council. However, Saifuddin claimed that Wahab presented a resolution to impose municipal taxes without adhering to the agreed procedure, thus violating the court’s orders.
The petitioner requested the SHC to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the mayor and to prevent him from collecting municipal taxes through what they deemed ‘illegal’ means.
On June 11, the city council approved a resolution to collect Municipal Utility Charges and Taxes (MUCT) for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) through K-Electric (KE) power bills, despite criticism from opposition members. This decision was made during a general meeting of the KMC council, chaired by Mayor Wahab.
Last month, the SHC directed the KMC to review an agreement regarding the collection of MUCT through electricity bills and present it to the City Council within three months. The SHC also mandated that the KMC follow applicable laws, stating that any resolutions or notifications issued by the corporation must be provisional and subject to the final determination of a petition challenging various provisions of KMC and MUCT rules.
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