ISLAMABAD, Jul 28 (APP):A constitutional petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the Municipal Corporation Islamabad's (MCI) auction of rights for the collection of municipal taxes and fees, alleging that the civic body lacks the legal authority to outsource such collections through auction. The petition, filed by Advocate Faisal Mahmood under Article 199 of the Constitution, names the Federation, the Chief Commissioner Islamabad, the Deputy Commissioner …
IHC moved against MCI tax collection auction
ISLAMABAD, Jul 28 (APP):A constitutional petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the Municipal Corporation Islamabad’s (MCI) auction of rights for the collection of municipal taxes and fees, alleging that the civic body lacks the legal authority to outsource such collections through auction.
The petition, filed by Advocate Faisal Mahmood under Article 199 of the Constitution, names the Federation, the Chief Commissioner Islamabad, the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad and the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad as respondents. It challenges the MCI’s auction advertisement issued on July 10, 2026.
The petitioner contended that the MCI has no lawful authority to auction the collection of board tax, professional licence fees and other municipal taxes without complying with the mandatory requirements of Section 88 of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015.
The petition further argued that the impugned advertisement is in clear violation of a January 16, 2023 judgment of an Islamabad High Court division bench, maintaining that no tax or fee can be collected from the public except in accordance with the law.
The petitioner requested the court to declare the July 10, 2026 auction advertisement, along with all proceedings conducted pursuant to it, null and void. It also sought an interim order restraining the MCI from proceeding with the auction process until the final disposal of the petition.
