Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Jan. 23 -- Residents and traders in Hattar have raised serious objections to the imposition of Urban Areas Immovable Property Tax after the locality was declared an urban area, a decision they say was taken without transparency or public consultation, The Express Tribune reported.

The move has sparked widespread resentment among shopkeepers who argue that Hattar does not meet the basic criteria of an urban centre, it said.

According to The Express Tribune, officials from the Excise and Taxation Department have maintained that the levy itself was introduced by the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) Khanpur, while the excise department is only tasked with collecting the tax. Authorities explained that when Khanpur w...