KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed Customs Department to file comments on a constitutional petition filed by M/s Al-Hamra Trading Company (Private) Limited through its proprietor Imran Rauf against show cause notice issued by customs authorities.
While hearing of the petition, a two-member bench, comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Omer Siyal, also continued interim order and restrained the Customs Department from taking any coercive action against the petitioner.
Earlier, counsel for the petitioner stated that it is engaged in lawful business of import and export and trades in different chemical items and fulfills all the liabilities according to the law.
He submitted that it imported chemical items namely styrene butadiene rubber from Taiwan dated 30/30/2017 which was stopped by the customs authorities and allegation was fixed that the imported good is not covered under serial no 100 of the SRO 1125 (1)/ 2011 and the petitioner by concealing the facts has got the benefit of the above SRO.
Importer said that now only stopping the goods, customs department also issued show cause notice to the petitioner and directed officials to start proceeding against it without fulfilling any lawful requirement.
Citing Secretary Ministry of Finance, Port of Shipping through its Sectary, Chief Collector of Customs Model Customs Collectorate West and others as respondents, petitioner pleaded the court to declare that act of the respondents is illegal, mala fide and arbitrary.
He also pleaded the court my direct them to release its consignment and restrain them from taking any coercive action against the petitioner till final order in this petition.
