BAHAWALPUR: The inland revenue (IR) has stayed the recovery of the taxes amounting to around Rs610 million from the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) till June 26.

Bahawalpur IR Commissioner (appeals) Jamshed Fakhri Dahar granted the stay on IUB’s appeal against freezing its bank accounts.

In the appeal, IUB’s authorised representative Advocate Javed Iqbal Chaudhury contended that the appellant had already filed an appeal before this forum contesting the impugned amended order. He said the appeal had been pending for adjudication, but the department was adopting coercive measures to recover the impugned tax amount.

The commissioner (appeals), in his decision, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said that considering that the appeal was pending for adjudication and fixed for hearing on June 23, the recovery of the impugned tax demand was stayed up to June 26 or till the decision of the appeal.

It may be recalled that a team of the department, under the supervision of Additional Commissioner Khalid Sultan, had carried out a recovery operation the other day by freezing the IUB’s bank accounts to the tune of Rs536 million out of the total of around Rs610 million.

SEALED: The Bahawalpur municipal corporation, in its drive against illegal construction of shops, defaulting municipal taxes and other related matters, sealed as many as 100 shops in the area around the general bus stand (GBS).

The operation continued late till night Friday. After the shops were sealed, a large number of shop owners were seen on Saturday at the Bahawalpur MC premises to de-seal their shops.

According to MC officials, the shop owners would have to get maps approved and pay the MC taxes and would have to regulate their shops in accordance with the MC laws.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2026