This refers to the Sindh government bill for property tax. It is not the amount of tax I am complaining against; it is the quality of the bill. The bill has been issued by I-I Division — of which department and ministry we do not know.

The bill says the tax must be paid to the “authorised” branch of a bank. It doesn’t tell us which that authorised branch is. In contrast, some utility companies carry lists of authorised branches.

The bill, with the grandiose title of ‘form P.T. 10’ also says within brackets followed by parentheses “[See rules 15(4) and (5)]”. See them where?

The reverse side of the bill is so blank you feel like keeping it handy to wrap leftover food.

The variety of rubber stamps used is impressive. One in small letters in blue ink asks us to “say no to corruption”. Another in red ink warns: “After due date the 50pc penalty will by (sic) imposed”.

Another red-inked stamp informs us of the last date, and finally there is what look likes the seal in blue for the benefit of “(Sd.), Property Tax Clerk; received and grant receipt; (Sd) Assessing Authority Rating Area.”

Behind this bureaucratic rigmarole is the reality that there is no way you can contact I-I Division. There is no postal address and no phone number.

Perhaps the billing authority doesn’t recognise the existence of telephones, which were invented inthe early 20th century. To expect it to let us know its email address — if it has one — is to ask for the moon.

Most probably, the bill was designed by the East India Company before we natives became Her Majesty’s loyal subjects in 1857. Since independence we have discarded many British habits we don’t like — discipline, hygiene, queues, law-abiding lawyers, etc. But in the case of the property bill pro-forma we are very jealously British in our attitude.

Will some Sindh property official kindly pay attention to this and let the citizens know I-I division’s postal address and phone number, if not the email address?

A taxpayer

Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 10th , 2015

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