KARACHI: A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC), headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, has directed the tax department to ensure that the sales tax registration of the petitioner is restored immediately.
The court ordered this on a constitutional petition filed by Al-Amna Enterprises, seeking restoration of its sales tax registration blocked by customs authorities.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner submitted that vide orders dated 03/02/2017and 15/02/2017 passed by this court in the instant matter, respondents were directed to consider the request of the petitioner for restoration of sales tax registration. However, in-spite of having submitted the requisite documents and information, the respondents have not passed any order for restoration of the petitioner’s sales tax registration. The counsel for the petitioner further submitted that on account of illegal and arbitrary suspension of sales tax registration, the business of the petitioner has come to a halt.
He requested that respondents may be directed to restore the sales tax registration of the petitioner so that may caring on his business during pendency of instant petition, after his arguments, court observed that “since sufficient time has already been given to the respondents to file comments and passed order regarding restoration of sales tax registration, and needful has not been done so far, therefore, request of the learned counsel for the petitioner appears to be reasonable, as respondents have failed to comply with the aforesaid order passed by this court in this regard”.
The court also observed that “accordingly, we are adjourning the matter to be fixed after two weeks when comments, if any, shall be filed by respondents, in the meanwhile, order of suspension of sales tax registration of the petitioner shall remain suspended till next date, respondents are directed to ensure that the sales tax registration of the petitioner is restored immediately, failing which appropriate order shall be passed against the delinquent offer for defying the court order”.
