KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) passed an interim order and restrained customs officials from taking any coercive action including blockage of NTN of the petitioner till next date of hearing on a constitutional petition filed by M/s Telenor Pakistan Private Limited and M/s Ahbab Enterprises against blocking of its NTN/user ID by the Collector of Customs of Appraisement East due to alleged disputed recovery.
On June 12, 2019, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi was hearing the matter. Court also directed customs officials to file their comments with advance copy to learned counsel for the petitioner.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner stated in his petition that user ID of petitioners was blocked by customs officials to stop clearance of the consignments imported by/cleared through petitioners and when they approached the customs officials then petitioners were informed that NTN/user ID of the petitioners was blocked in pursuance of the recovery proceedings initiated by the Collectorate vide demand notice dated May 07, 2019 issued in pursuance of an order-in-original no 280/2017-2018 dated Dec 22, 2017 passed by the Collector of Customs (Adjudication-II).
He further argued that copy of the impugned demand notice along with the copy of referred order-in-original was never served on/ever received by petitioners.
Citing chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Director, Directorate of Post Clearance Audit, Collector of Customs (Gr-VI) and Collector of Customs Adjudication-II as respondents, he pleaded the court to suspend the operation of impugned order-in-original dated Dec 22, 2017. He further pleaded the court may de-block the NTN of petitioners and restrain them from taking any other coercive action against them till final order in this petition.
