KARACHI: A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) directed concerned officials of customs department to release consignments of importers M/s Karol Pipe Industry and M/s RTS Engineering Works.
On 18 June, 2020 a two-member bench heard the matter.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioners stated in his petition that petitioners are regular importers of various secondary quality steel products and for same purpose are registered with tax authorities and during the course of their import contracts LC for imports of various consignments of secondary quality steel coils/ steels at the price/ rates mentioned in respective sale contracts and letters of credits, whereas, on arrival of respective goods, petitioners filed goods declaration and requested the customs authorities to clear their imported goods.
He further submitted that however, customs officials are bent upon to assess the customs value of subject consignments as per valuation ruling, bearing registration no 1213/2017 under section 25A ibid, which has been set-aside being declared as without lawful authority by the appropriate appellate authority, in a number of appeals there-against vide an earlier judgment dated July 18, 2018 and subsequent through a consolidated judgment dated Oct 20, 2018 and that the same judgments hold the filed till date as no suspension order has been attained by the respondents collectoarate till date.
Citing chairman FBR, the collector of Customs Appraisement East, West and Port Muhammad Bin Qasim as respondents, petitioners pleaded the court may declare that act of the respondents to assess the import consignments of the petitioners under an illegal, non-existent and set-aside valuation ruling by appropriate authority is illegal, unlawful, unwarranted and without lawful authority.
He further pleaded the court to direct them to release its imported consignments immediately and restrain them from taking any coercive action against the petitioners till final judgment in this petition.
