KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the tax authorities to file para-wise comments on a constitutional petition filed by M/s Alick International against the impugned show cause notice issued by the custom authorities, threatening the petitioner of coercive action.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Saeeduddin Nasir was hearing the constitutional petition.
During the hearing, counsel for the Custom Department requested the court for time to submit the para-wise comments, therefore, the court granted the time and adjourned the hearing for November 18, 2016.
Earlier, counsel for the petitioner stated that petitioner is engaged in the business of customs clearing and forwarding, importers M/S Bakhat Munir, Akhtar Zada and Aziz ur Rahman had imported consignments of different brands’ vehicles as a clearing and forwarding petitioner filed goods declarations and after submitted duty and taxes consignments were released according with the law.
According to the petitioner, respondents issued demand notices to the above named importers as well as petitioner, containing the allegation that the said vehicles were released on mis-declaration, therefore, respondents threatened to adopt coercive action by initiating harsh proceedings importers as well as the petitioner without providing any hearing.
Citing Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Collector of Customs Model Custom Collectorte West and Assistant Collector of Customs Model Custom Collectorate, West as respondents, petitioner pleaded the court may restrain the respondents from taking any coercive action against the petitioner and declare that act of the respondents is illegal, arbitrary and of no legal effect.
