KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed customs officials to release petitioner’s imported goods of miscellaneous items after securing differential amounts on the shape of bank guarantee/ pay order on a constitutional petition filed by M/s CA Traders.
On 22 January 2022, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Irfan Sadat Khan heard the matter, during the hearing, Imran Iqbal Khan advocate for petitioner and Kafeel Ahmed Abbasi, deputy attorney general appeared before the bench.
After the hearing, court passed order and observed that “in the circumstances, by way of an interim arrangement since the consignment is incurring storage charges at the port, let the undisputed quantum of duties and taxes be deposit with the Collectorate/department and disputed amount of the duties and taxes along with the adjudged fine and penalty by secured before the nazir of this court, by the way of pay order/ bank guarantee in respect of the consignments/covered by this petition.
Once the amount is secured as stipulated supra, the nazir shall issue the appropriate certificate/ if the amount is secured by the way of pay orders, the nazir shall invest the amount in profit bearing instruments as per rules, the nazir fee is settled at Rs5,000 per certificate, upon deposit the undisputed quantum of duties and taxes with the department and presentation shall release in against formulation.
The fate of the amount secured supra shall be subject to the outcome of the appeal of the petitioner pending before tribunal, this petition, along with pending application disposed of in terms herein”.