GUJRAT, Feb 24: The Kharian Excise and Taxation office has issued pre-arrest warrants (notices) to 547 defaulters, who have to pay Rs4.5 million property tax.

Inspector Amir Shahzad Gondal told newsmen that after assuming the charge of the office, he had found during scrutiny of the record that 547 people had not paid the property tax in the last four years. The defaulters owed approximately Rs4.5 million to the department, he added.

Mr Gondal said he had served the defaulters with pre-arrest warrants and set Feb 26 as the deadline for depositing the amount. After the expiry of the deadline, he said, his office would issue warrants for their arrest and take steps to confiscate their movable and immovable properties.

Sources claimed that big defaulters included some members of the families of a local MNA, tehsil Nazim and a top army official. They said the excise authorities had been showing leniency in taking action against these influential defaulters, who (around seven) owed more than Rs1 million to the kitty.

Certain quarters had earlier exerted pressure on the excise higher-ups to reduce the amount and now they were again busy in the same pursuit. When contacted, Mr Gondal admitted that some politicians had been pressing him and higher-ups to get extra relief for defaulters, but affirmed that he would not succumb to pressure and deal the defaulters according to law.