ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) to decide the tax matter within 60 days claiming recovery of Rs 62 million from M/s Army Welfare Trust.
Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC heard the petition. M/s Army Welfare Trust, through Director Finance, Malik Riffat, had filed the petition. The appellant had prayed the court to grant it a stay on the expected recovery of Rs 62 million from the appellant’s bank accounts after exhaustion of ATIR given 180 stay on the matter.
The Government of Pakistan through Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Large Taxpayer’s Unit (LTU), Islamabad officers- commissioner appeals, deputy commissioner Inland Revenue and others, and ATIR were made respondents in the case.
The court also directed the FBR not to take any coercive measures in form of initiating recovery procedures from the appellant till the matters was decided by the ATIR. Court’s order stated that ATIR must decide the case within 60 days and a report must be submitted in the court informing about compliance of the court’s order/directives.
Earlier, the appellant’s counsel had informed the court that it had exhausted all departmental lawful forums against the LTU’s order, dated November 6, 2014, authorizing the department to recover said amounts from appellant’s bank accounts.
“The ATIR had then granted the appellant a stay applicable for 180 days. And then a petition was filed before the IHC in order to restrict tax collecting department to take coercive actions”, stated by counsel before the court.
