RAWALPINDI, June 7: The Excise and Taxation Department (E&T) on Thursday locked the gate of a private girls’ hostel in B-Block of Satellite Town over non-payment of property tax worth Rs46,000.

According to the eye witnesses, some 40 girls and women were locked inside the hostel by the E&T officials and they remained confined there for several hours. The girls and women were students and working women, an eye witness said.

The recovery inspectors of Excise and Taxation Department sealed the building of Fatima Memorial Group of Hostels situated at B-Block of Satellite Town at about 11:30am. The girls and women locked inside could only get out of the hostel at about 4:30pm when the staff opened the hostel when it learnt that the hostel administration had paid the property tax to Excise and Taxation Department.

The female students who lived in the hostel told the reporters that they along with other fellows remained locked in the hostel and could not even attend their classes.

Talking to mediamen, Zafar-ul-Haq, the owner the three-storey hostel, lashed out at Excise and Taxation Department for this cruel action. He said that he had rented out this building many years ago and had regularly been paying the tax.

He said that he tried to contact E&T Inspector to inform him that the tax had been paid and the hostel should be opened but no response was given by the official.

He said that he paid Rs46,000 tax and deposited the money in the bank in August last year and the receipts were submitted to the excise office.

When contacted, E&T Director Muhammad Suhail said that the officials did not seal the gate but locked it with chains as a token action to force the owner to pay the tax.

He said that the officials did not restrict the movement of the people and gate was opened only after half an hour. —A Reporter