KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) restrained customs officials from encashment of securities furnished by the petitioner at the time of provisional release till conclusion of the appeals pending before the tribunal on constitutional petitions filed by M/s Radium Silk Factory and others.
On 14 October 2021, during the hearing, Owais Ali Shah consul for the petitioner, Muhammad Rashid Afridi consul for customs department, Kafeel Ahmed Abbasi Deputy Attorney General appeared before the court.
After the hearing, the court passed an order that “by consent it is agreed that since the appeals of the petitioners are pending before the appellate tribunal, therefore, securities furnished by the petitioner to the customs department may not be en-cashed till the conclusion of the appeals. These petitions stand disposed of in the above terms along with pending applications”.
Earlier, counsel for the petitioners informed the court that their clients are doing lawful business and during the course of business, petitioners imported several consignments of various fabrics and filed goods declarations according with law, however, without lawful authority customs officials stopped their consignments and enhanced valuation under the garb of valuation ruling no 1449/2021.
Citing Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Collector of Customs Appraisement East, Collector Customs Appraisement West, director, Directorate General of Customs Valuation as respondents, counsel pleaded the court to declare that act of the respondents is illegal, mala fide and arbitrary.
Petitioners further pleaded the SHC direct them to release their imported consignments according to law and restrain customs officials, their officers, staffs and other related officials from taking any adverse action against the petitioners till final judgments in these constitutional petitions.