Pakistan has announced plans to increase Taxes for a non-Muslim majority town. The tax increase will impact residential homes and businesses.
The Town of Rabwah’s Municipal Committee announced the proposed tax increase through a public notice which was published in a local newspaper on April 29th. The proposed new rates amount to an estimated 100% increase.
Majority of the town’s residents are of Ahmadiyya faith, a sect which considers itself Muslim but has been declared non-Muslim under Pakistani law. Meanwhile, the City’s Municipal Committee is also entirely made up of Muslim officials, none of the city’s Ahmadi residents serve on the city council.
According to the Municipality, the increased taxes will be used to develop the infrastructure of the city, However, historically the Ahmadis have been denied basic services such as water, power and garbage disposal by the local Government. The local MPA (Member Provincial Assembly) Ilyas Chinioti even urged the Government to stop the development of basic infrastructure and services in the town as the Ahmadis “will use it to conspire against the country”.
