KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to the tax authorities and deputy attorney general of Pakistan on a constitutional petition filed by Awaz Television Network (Private) Limited against impugned notice for attachment of its bank accounts for recovery of over Rs 21.9 million.
Hearing the petition, a two-member bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar also directed them to file their respective comments on the next date of hearing after which the court adjourned the hearing for January 2, 2016.
Earlier in the constitutional petition, counsel for the petitioner stated that the petitioner owns a television channel to broadcast various programmes, including news alerts. The counsel argued that the tax authorities issued a show cause notice to the petitioner for tax year 2015 for the recovery of over Rs 21.9 million.
According to the petitioner, being aggrieved, it filed an appeal before the authority concerned which is pending, however, the tax authorities also issued a notice for recovery of the said amount through attachment of the company’s bank accounts on December 19, 2016. The counsel said that the authorities have threatened to attach and sale of movable or unmovable property of company and all bank accounts to recover the impugned amount.
Citing the Federal Board of Revenue chairman, the appellate tribunal bench-II, the chief commissioner inland revenue, regional tax office (RTO-1), the commissioner inland revenue zone-IV, Hyderabad, and others, the petitioner pleaded that the court may restrain them from taking any coercive action against the petitioner and also restrain them from attachment of bank accounts for recovery of the said amount.
