LAHORE, Feb 10: The Lahore High Court was informed on Monday that PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and Begum Kulsoom Nawaz were rightly penalized through additional tax demand.

Both had failed to pay off their respective income tax demands on time, the Lahore Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax submitted before Justice Nasim Sikandar.

The statement was made by the DC in response to the petitions filed by the two Sharif family members, challenging the levy of the additional income tax on them by the income tax department.

Justice Sikandar allowed petitioners’ counsel Tariq Aziz to file a rejoinder to the statement of the income tax department officer.

The DC claimed that the two Sharifs did not make payment of their respective income tax demands for the assessment years 1997-98, 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, within the stipulated period expiring on June 24, 2000.

According to the DC, the tax was paid on Aug 30, 2002, when both the petitioners had become liable for the payment of additional tax.

The order for the payment of additional tax was not violative of Section 89 of the Income Tax Ordinance 1979, since it was equally applicable to those making delayed payments.

The DC claimed to have issued a show-cause notice to both the petitioners prior to the issuance of additional tax demand but they allegedly did not respond to it.

PLEA: The Lahore High Court office was requested to include the name of President Pervez Musharraf as respondent in a petition holding government functionaries responsible for loss of human lives on Basant.