KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued two notices to the tax department and deputy attorney general of Pakistan on a constitutional petition filed by M/s V.V Cotton Ginning & Oil Mills Private Limited, M/s Kanwal Cotton Ginners Oil Mills Private Limited, M/s Asad Cotton Ginners Private Limited, M/s Hingloj Cotton Oil & Food Industries and others against the impugned notices for attachment of their bank accounts for recovery of disputed income tax.
Hearing the petition, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed, also directed them to file their respective para-wise comments for February 15, 2017.
Earlier, counsel for petitioners stated in constitutional petition that they are manufacturing ginned cotton and cottonseed and paying all the liabilities and government taxes properly.
Counsel informed the court that Deputy Commissioner, Inland Revenue, E & C Unit-X RTO, Hyderabad, during pending of income tax appeals against disputed income tax liability, issued recovery notices under Section-140 of the Income Tax Ordinance-2001 which includes attachment of bank accounts of the petitioners.
Citing Chief Commissioner, Inland Revenue, Regional Tax Office RTO Hyderabad, the Commissioner, Inland Revenue (Appeals), Regional Tax Office, RTO, Hyderabad, Additional Commissioner, Inland Revenue, Zone-II, Regional Tax Office, RTO, Hyderabad, and Deputy Commissioner, Inland Revenue, E & C Unit-X RTO, Hyderabad, as respondents, the petitioners pleaded with the court to kindly declare that act of the said respondent illegal, mala fide and arbitrary.
They also pleaded with the court to set aside the impugned recovery notices and direct the Commissioner Inland Revenue Appeals, Hyderabad, to decide/ adjudicate the appeals of the petitioners within a period of 90 days or any suitable time which this court deems fit.