LAHORE: Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh has referred a writ petition challenging Gas Infrastructure Development Cess to the Chief Justice.
Advocate Azhar Siddique had filed the petition and challenged the taxes for Gas Infrastructure Cess in the electricity bills. The lawyer-petitioner stated that Ministry of Water and Power and ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources were making people fool while the electricity is not being supplied properly to the citizens.
He pointed out that National Electric Power and Regulatory Authority had imposed extra burden on the nation by collecting taxes in the name of Gas Infrastructure Development Cess. He said Rs11 billion were allocated for the said Cess.
He said Infrastructure Development Cess Act 2015 was contrary to the Constitution and be set aside. Azhar Siddique also argued that these taxes were being charged since 2011 while LNG had been bought against heavy price and ANGRO Corporation was benefited.
He submitted that the project of TAPI and Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline was intentionally delayed. However, NEPRA’s counsel said that Justice Ijazul Ahsan was already hearing the same cases. He pleaded the judge to refer the case to Justice Ahsan. The judge accepted the peal and sent the case to the Chief Justice to fix it before the appropriate bench for hearing.
