KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered conditional release of a consignment of automotive body parts.
A division bench of SHC directed the Customs authorities to release the consignment of petitioner Muhammad Amim Yahya after he deposits differential amount of duty and taxes and estimated fine to be imposed on him by adjudicating officer for mis-declaration of the imported goods with Nazir of the court.
Petitioner Yahya moved the court, submitting that he imported a consignment of automotive body parts weighing about 15.37 metric tonnes and subsequently filed goods declaration on May 22 and paid customs duty and taxes.
The petitioner’s counsel said that the consignment was re-examined by the officers of the Research and Development (R&D) Section and resultantly and the petitioner was required to pay more duty and taxes amounting to Rs 2,280,914, which he also paid.
When the petitioner’s carrier approached the terminal operator for transhipment of the consignment, it was declined delivery.
The petitioner complained to the judges that the customs staff illegally detained the consignment; nevertheless, he made payments of all duty and taxes after examination and re-examination of the consignment. His consignment was held without any solid reason, he said, adding that it was lying on the port incurring hefty amount of demurrage.
In response to the petition, Advocate Kashif Nazir, representing the customs authorities, submitted that the petitioner’s consignment was held for mis-declaratio as he was issued show-cause notice and legal proceedings have been initiated against him.
