Latest news with #MalikZaheerAwan
Express Tribune
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
New garbage tax sparks outrage
A hefty garbage tax is being imposed across all cities and villages in Punjab from tomorrow (July 1), drawing ire of citizens and social organisations. This tax will be collected monthly with forceful implementation by Waste Management Companies, Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees, Town Committees, and District Councils. Official bills will be issued, and non-payment may lead to police action upon report. The Punjab government has also issued a detailed fee structure for urban and rural areas, sparking public outrage. Even daily wage labourers living in rented accommodations will be required to pay the garbage tax. Monthly garbage tax rates for rural areas will be Rs200 for two to five marla houses, Rs400 for 10 marla and above, Rs300 for small shopkeepers, Rs700 for medium businesses, and Rs1,000 for large businesses/factories/industries. For urban areas, Rs300 will be charged per month for up to 5 marla houses, Rs500 for five to 10 marla houses, Rs1,000 for 10 marla to one kanal houses, Rs2,000 for one to two kanal houses, and Rs5,000 for over two kanal houses. Under commercial areas, authorities will charge Rs500 for a single shop, Rs1,000 for medium businesses, and Rs3,000 for factories/industries. Social organisations and citizens have strongly condemned the garbage tax, demanding that the government curb its lavish spending instead of burdening the public with endless taxation. Citizen Action Committee Chairman, Malik Zaheer Awan, has criticised the extravagance of the Punjab Chief Minister's office, stating it consumed biscuits worth Rs2.14 billion in a year, excluding food bills. He demanded that this money be redirected toward cleanliness in Punjab. He further suggested that the alleged Rs10 trillion lost to corruption in Punjab in a year be recovered and used to resolve issues related to cleanliness, drinking water, and sewage. Malik Saleh Advocate, a senior member of the Rawalpindi District Bar Association, announced he is obtaining a copy of the notification and will challenge the Garbage Tax in the Lahore High Court (LHC). Meanwhile, MNA Engineer Qamarul Islam, convener of the District Development Committee, supported the tax, stating it would upgrade Punjab's sanitation system and help transform the province into the "Paris of South Asia" in terms of cleanliness. The development comes just days after the National Assembly approved the Rs17.6 trillion worth budget along with Rs463 billion new taxes, bringing the digital economy under the purview of tax laws but almost nullified the single largest enforcement measure to ban economic transactions by ineligible persons. The National Assembly approved the second budget of the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with a comfortable majority. During a voting on one clause, the coalition government mustered the support of 201 Members of the National Assembly as against 57 votes of the opposition parties.
Express Tribune
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Selfies at Gawalmandi, silence elsewhere
With the pre-monsoon season underway, the district administration has once again designated the Gawalmandi Bridge — a high and secure vantage point — as the central monitoring site for flood damage caused by the 22-kilometre-long Nullah Leh and 15 tributary stormwater drains. Despite severe urban flooding on Wednesday that submerged 70pc of the city's Cantonment areas and major markets — such as Raja Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, and others — under 2 to 3 feet of water, no senior officials visited the affected neighbourhoods. Instead, key figures including the commissioner, deputy commissioner, RDA director general, WASA MD, and other officials arrived at Gawalmandi Bridge after the rain had stopped, took selfies, gave brief statements about drainage efforts, and left in vehicles. This location has unofficially become a "photo-op point" for flood assessment. The bridge is cleaned and freshly painted before each high-profile visit, and nearby traffic is halted during these inspections. Unlike other vulnerable bridges over Nullah Leh, which officials avoid due to potential public backlash, Gawalmandi Bridge remains the preferred spot due to its security and easy access. Sources indicate that all federal and provincial ministers, MPs, and department heads will be brought to this same site during the monsoon season. Even if Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz visits Rawalpindi for flood assessment, she is expected to be taken to this bridge. Local civic groups, including the Citizen Action Committee, have strongly criticised the practice. Chairman Malik Zaheer Awan has demanded that officials visit flood-affected areas and announce immediate relief of Rs100,000 per victim. District Bar Association President Sardar Manzar Bashir also condemned the symbolic monitoring from Gawalmandi, calling it inadequate for understanding the full extent of the disaster. Citizen Action Committee warned of a mass protest at Gawalmandi Bridge if this "selfie drama" does not end.
Express Tribune
26-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Residents protest health teams' markings on homes
Residents of Rawalpindi and cantonment areas have expressed their frustration over the actions of anti-polio and dengue surveillance teams, who have been marking identification numbers on doors, windows, walls, signboards, and PVC pipes of residential and commercial buildings. These markings, often made with permanent black markers, have significantly defaced the exterior of properties, damaging their aesthetic appeal. The practice has sparked widespread outcry, particularly from homeowners who have spent large sums on painting and maintaining their properties. In response, the Human Rights Cell of the District Bar Association has announced plans to challenge the issue in the High Court, calling for the establishment of a proper mechanism that preserves property appearance while allowing for health monitoring. Many residents complain that their homes are repeatedly marked during monthly visits by polio, dengue, and lady health workers, leaving behind a trail of unsightly codes and numbers. This has led to mounting tensions, with reports of verbal altercations between citizens and health teams. The presence of women in these teams has occasionally led to confrontational encounters with male family members. Despite the backlash, the Health Department has no formal system to regulate or monitor this process. According to insiders, senior officials have directly instructed teams to ensure markings are clearly visibletypically using permanent inkwithout considering the damage done to personal property. These marks are difficult to remove and have marred the appearance of nearly every home in the city and the cantonment. Citizens are now urging the Health Department to develop an alternative systemsuch as maintaining written records with homeowner verification through signatures, thumb impressions, or CNIC copiesinstead of using permanent markers on buildings. Malik Saleh Advocate, head of the District Bar Association's Human Rights Cell, emphasised that it is the state's duty to provide services without violating citizens' rights or damaging their homes. "No institution has the authority to deface cities like this," he said, announcing that a formal petition will be filed with the Rawalpindi Bench of the High Court this week. Chairman of the Citizen Action Committee, Malik Zaheer Awan, also vowed to join the legal challenge. He argued that by writing on private property, municipal and health authorities are lowering the value of homes and causing distress rather than delivering public service. Residents like Ibrahim Khan have taken a firm stance, vowing not to allow anyone to mark their homes again. "Whoever writes on my property will be responsible for the damage," he warned. Sultan Mehmood, another homeowner, expressed similar frustration. "No matter how many times I repaint my doors, they're always defaced again the next day."
