KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed customs officials to release the consignment of petitioner on bank guarantee/ pay order on a constitutional petition filed by M/s Raz Textiles seeking provisional release order for its imported consignments of polyester & viscose.
On 19 August 2020 a two-member bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi was hearing the matter.
During the hearing, Saima Syed, advocate for the petitioner submitted that petitioner will press instant petition only to the extent that directions may be issued to the respondents to provisional release the subject consignments of the petitioner, which according to learned counsel has been assessed by the respondents as per valuation ruling no 1091 of 2017, which valuation ruling has been challenged by the petitioner before director valuation Karachi.
After the hearing, court observed in its order that “let pre-admission notice be issued to respondents as well as deputy attorney general to be served through first three modes for a date to be fixed after two weeks, when instant petition may be take up along with aforesaid and other connected petitions.
Whereas, comments, if any, shall be filed with advance copy to the learned counsel for the petitioner. In the meanwhile, request of the petitioner for provisional release of the consignments, subject to securing the disputed amount of duty and taxes before the concerned collectorate in the shape of pay order/ bank guarantee, shall be considered in accordance with law and compliance report be furnished before this court on the next date of hearing”.
Earlier, citing chairman FBR, the Collector of Customs MCC Appraisement West and DG Valuation as respondents, petitioner pleaded the court may declare that seizing it imported consignments of polyester & viscose by customs officials is illegal, mala fide and arbitrary and court may direct them to release his consignments immediately according with law.
