ISLAMABAD: The Customs Appellate Tribunal has reserved the decision of a case pertaining to the illegal sale of a privately owned vehicle by former British High Commissioner, David Kennan, to a Pakistani citizen.
Sirajul Mulk was the Pakistan citizen who purchased former British commissioner’s vehicle without paying the liable duty on the transfer of vehicles owned by foreign embassies non-Pakistani staffers.
Siraj ul Mulk had filed the petition in the tribunal and offered collector customs, Islamabad to disbursing five percent duty for settling the matter and regaining the vehicle which was seized by customs authorities. Customs officers captured the vehicle after five years of purchase by Siraj ul Mulk.
However, the respondent in the case argued for 100 percent duty disbursement as the vehicle was solved only after one year of import. The respondent counsel referred to customs rules and argued that a vehicle owned by foreign national staffers of British embassy had to pay 100 percent duty in order to sale vehicle before completion of three years’ period. The sold vehicle fall in B-category, liable to 100 percent duty in case of sale before three years, he submitted.
David Kennan had sold the vehicle to Pakistani citizen without writing to FBR, counsel said during case’s hearings.
CAT Division Bench comprising of Chairman Ghulam Murtaza Bhatti and Member Technical, Khalid Mehmood heard the case and reserved its decision after hearing the case on November 5, 2015.
