The protest staged by real estate agents yesterday in Lahore ended after a dialogue was held between protesters and the government representatives. These agents, holding placards and shouting their demands out loud, had reached the Assembly Hall in the form of rallies from all over the city. The rally was followed by a several-hours-long sit-in at Chairing Cross, which caused traffic jams on all major roads of the city.
The agents are demanding reversal of the new tax regime, which they say has dealt a major blow to their businesses and caused an overall drop in real estate transaction volumes. A big percentage of these protesters haven’t earned a dime since 30th June. The associations representing property agents from various cities have collaborated to hold similar protests in all major urban centres of Pakistan in order to build up pressure against the government to get some relief from the new property taxes. The protest held in Lahore yesterday is one of the many demonstrations these agents have planned.
According to a source, representatives of real estate agents protesting in front of Assembly Hall met Lahore Mayor Khwaja Ahmad Hassan, who looked keen to address their demands. Hassan assured the representatives that the concerns of real estate agents would be addressed thoroughly. Reportedly, a meeting with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan and real estate representatives will be held today to find a workable solution to end the standstill in the real estate sector.
We have also learnt that estate agents have threatened to close down Lahore on November 2, 2016 if the authorities concerned do not accept their demands, which also include announcement of a tax amnesty scheme.
Here are some images from yesterday’s protest:
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Hats off for this government to bring posh business owners on road :)..
Everyone in the society has to work together no matter poor or rich. If you don’t raise your voice for the right then tomorrow you will also be on the road and none will be there to raise a voice with you…
And real estate is not the only area to raise voice People has to raise voice against all the issue no matter inflation, increasing poverty, poor health, and less means of education…
My Story
Last Year i relocated to pakistan, planned to buy a plot in bahria town lahore.
The Vigilant sincere real estate agent suggested me a plot of 10 marla of 75 lac,
the same day it gone up to 78 lac , next day the agent alleged that market is so fast and its now on 80 lac. I took some time to think about it , after 2 days i had agent call that he has token money of same plot of 83.50 lac. If you give a offer above like 84 then we can have a deal with 1 percent commission .
I decided to trust on agent offer and bought the same plot @ 84 lac.After a week i got the good news that the actual price of the same plot was 76 lac ,and agents raised the artificial price of the plot.
Conclusion : I FOUND THE AGENTS ” A PACK OF LIES ”, AND IF THAT AGENT NOW ON THE ROAD DUE TO HUNGER THEN I DONOT FEEL SORRY FOR HIM
Sheraz
Absolutely. I am a lower middle class person and I cant fulfill my dream of buying my own house or flat just because these real estate agents have ruined the market by increasing the prices to 500% and their greed (coupled with the greed from sellers) is never ending.
I feel sad that these monsters are on roads threatening to seize the city and govt. will eventually accept their terms. So sad that genuine middle class buyers like me will never come out on roads because we all think that our number is less and we are weak. We are the working class and have to serve our office from 9 till 6 daily to secure our monthly salary. We will never have the courage like these agents to step out and support the taxation.
If the real estate agents have not earned a single penny in last 3 months, they should look at their faces because they have been earning 50% profits on every deal being cracked in last 3 years by increasing the market value to 300%
Have some mercy on the common man please.
It’s ironic that they are protesting the right action govt has taken after years of uncontrolled price increase mostly due to black money and low tax being paid by investors. Govt has taken the right step in the right direction & taxes should be paid according the correction real estate property valuation.
This slow down was absolutely needed. Still property prices are quite high. It’s sort of a bubble. Some area prices are more than Chicago Dallas London and many other international cities.
When it rains in Lahore, paani goudday goudday ho jandda a .. and in most areas of Lahore when billi pisses then streeets are flooded
Agents do as theyre instructed by dealers ..
You are part of this agent mafia!!