KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has restrained Pakistan Customs until December 22 from taking any coercive action against Streit Pakistan (Private) Limited and a clearing agent for allegedly submitting fake permissions to import raw material for the conversion of vehicles into bulletproof.
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who headed a division bench, directed the customs authorities to conduct themselves strictly in accordance with law. The court ruled, “No coercive action shall be taken against the petitioner and its directors or the clearing agent who handled the clearance of raw material on the basis of the NOC dated 28/12/12 till the next date of hearing.”
It issued notice to the Interior Ministry and the customs authorities to file their response to the petition till December 22. Streit Pakistan Pvt Ltd petitioned the high court, submitting that the firm is engaged in converting normal vehicles into bulletproof which are used by police department as well as parliamentarians and the personnel of law enforcement agencies.
The petitioner’s counsel said that the petitioner was issued license by the Interior Ministry for the converting of vehicles into bulletproof. He referred to the NOC dated 28/12/2012 issued by the Interior Ministry on the basis of which the petitioner was regularly importing raw material for the conversion of vehicles.
He said that the customs authorities had written a letter to the Interior Ministry for confirmation of the NOC. Responding to the letter, the ministry disowned it. Earlier the ministry had confirmed that the petitioner’s NOC was valid. Petitioner was legally issued permission to import raw material for the conversion of vehicles into bulletproof, the counsel said while requesting the court to restrain the customs authorities from taking any adverse action against the petitioner till the matter is decided.
