ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court on Thursday directed the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) to decide the tax matter of claiming recovery of Rs 658,105,680 from M/s Air Blue Limited.
IHC judge, Justice Aamer Farooq was hearing the reference who issued clear directions to the ATIR for rehearing the matter and producing a speaking order.
M/s Air Blue Limited had filed the petition. The appellant had prayed the court to grant it a stay on expected recovery of Rs 658,105,680 along with default charge of Rs 32,905,284 from appellant’s bank accounts.
Government of Pakistan through Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Large Taxpayer’s Unit (LTU), Islamabad officers- deputy commissioner Inland Revenue and others, and ATIR were respondents in the case.
The court also directed the FBR not 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 march 27, 2015, 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.
