KARACHI: A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) directed customs officials to consider application of importer for sending the samples to some independent laboratory for testing purpose and provisional release of subject consignment after securing disputed amount of duty and taxes on a constitutional petition filed by M/s A K International seeking release of its imported pile fabric for manufacturing of blankets from China.
On 19 October 2020, during the hearing, Ghulam Hyder Shaikh advocate appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that petitioner has imported pile fabric for manufacturing of blankets from China, after complying all the formalities, by declaring the value as per valuation ruling 1453/2020 dated June 24, 2020.
He further argued that however, customs authorities are not assessing the same in terms of the valuation ruling as referred to hereinabove without assigning any cogent reason, it has been prayed that respondents may be directed to apply the aforesaid valuation ruling or alternatively, may send the samples to some independent laboratory for testing purposes and allow provisional release of the subject consignment in accordance with law.
After the hearing, the court passed an order that “let pre-admission notice be issued to the respondents as well as D.A.G, to be served through first three modes for a date to be fixed after two weeks, when comments, if any, shall be filed with advance copy to the petitioner.
In the meanwhile, request of the petitioner for sending the samples to some independent laboratory for testing purpose and provisional release of the subject consignment subject to securing the disputed amount of duty and taxes, if any before the concerned collectorate in of pay order/ bank guarantee, shall be considered in accordance with law”.
