I AM a resident of Islamabad and have been living in a two-bedroom apartment since 2009 owned by me. I have always paid on time the annual property tax levied by the Capital Development Authority. I was shocked to receive the property tax for the year 2019-20 amounting to Rs40,375, an increase of more than 600 per cent over 2018-19 year! I immediately approached the CDA`s property tax department, which af ter checking the record, reduced my property tax to Rs20,188. I told the of ficer that even Rs20,188 was three times higher than the previous year`s tax. He replied that the CDA mayor had got the CDA property taxesrevised andthatithad alsobeen approved by the prime minister.

I am amazed by two facts. One, that the prime minister has nothing better to do than to approve theincreasein property tax, and,two, the worthy gentleman does not seem to care how citizens who have been regularly paying all their taxes are supposed to come up with the money to pay for a 300 per cent rise in tax. Then there is the point whether such an increase is just.

While I was arguing my case in the CDA, several senior citizens were also there with the same complaint. I heard a senior citizen muttering how he could pay as he existed on a meagre pension.

I fully understand that the government and the CDA require revenue. Perhaps the first step would be to disconnect the air-conditioning of senior CDA officials and sell all the luxury vehicles at their disposal. The CDA should increase property tax gradually, say, a 10 per cent increase every two years. The CDA chief should look into the matter.

Haris Agil Islamabad