Rawalpindi: A recent aerial drone survey conducted by the Property Tax Wing of the Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Department has revealed that up to 400 major villas, commercial buildings, and plazas in large housing societies and VIP localities in Rawalpindi were excluded from the property tax net.
Director Audit and Enforcement Asim Bukhari has referred five excise inspectors to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), alleging that these properties were deliberately kept outside the tax net in exchange for substantial illicit payments.
The drone audit, carried out in late October and early November, identified numerous high-value properties omitted from the tax system. Inspectors responsible for these areas were unable to provide satisfactory explanations for the omissions. As a result, a formal reference containing the names of the concerned excise inspectors and a list of the relevant properties was forwarded to the ACE for further investigation. The ACE has confirmed receipt of the reference, though no action has yet been initiated. The matter is under review, and senior departmental officers are expected to be briefed before summons are issued to the five inspectors.
Meanwhile, the Excise Department has reported a 55 percent shortfall in property tax collection during the first five months of the current financial year 2025–26 (July 1 to November 30). All excise inspectors failed to meet their assigned targets, prompting the Director General of Excise and Taxation to issue strict instructions to ensure the six-month target is achieved by December 31.
In a related enforcement drive between December 1 and 5, the department sealed 37 property units of defaulters, recovered PKR 4.587 million in taxes, and issued warrants against 119 defaulters. The department emphasized its commitment to cracking down on property tax evasion and ensuring compliance across all major housing societies and commercial areas in Rawalpindi.
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