KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed customs officials not to auction oil tankers till final order on several petitions filed by oil tankers’ owners against auctioning of their oil tankers.
On October 25, 2018, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, was hearing the petitions.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioners including Noor Ahmed argued that they are owner of oil tankers which were seized by customs officials alleging that they are involved in High Speed Diesel smuggling, counsels argued that they filed appeals before Customs Appellate Tribunal which directed customs officials to release their oil tankers, however, high officials of the customs department are not following order of the said tribunal.
Citing Secretary Revenue Division, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Chief Collector of Customs Collectorate West, Collector of Hyderabad and others as respondents, oil tankers’ owner pleaded the court to declare that act of the respondents as illegal, mala fide and arbitrary.
They also pleaded the court to direct them to release their oil tankers immediately and restrain them from taking any coercive action against the petitioners till final order in their petitions.
