KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (LHC) on Friday dismissed over 150 petitions, challenging the imposition of regulatory duty on imports of iron and steel from China.
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who headed a division bench, announced the verdict, directing the petitioners to pay the regulatory duty.
M/s Wasif Steel Industries, M/s Owais Oman Enterprises, M/s Sonia International, M/s Crystal Steel Corporation and Ms Junaid Brothers are among the petitioners who had challenged the imposition of regulatory duty on imports of iron and steel from China.
The petitioners had stated that Pakistan and China had entered into a Free Trade Agreement for import of steel and iron products and subsequently a notification was issued exempting regulatory duty on imports. However, they said, the federal government had issued SRO No. 601(1)2015 on June 30, 2015 whereby it amended its earlier SRO No. 568(1)2014 abolishing the exemption.
The counsel for the petitioners argued that the material they import from China comes within scope of FTA and therefore, the imposition of regulatory duty was illegal and unlawful. They prayed to the Court to declare as illegal the notification regarding imposition of regulatory duty and direct the respondents to withdraw the same.
