KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to secretary Revenue Division, assistant collector Stateware House, Customs Collectorate Hyderabad as well as deputy attorney general on a constitution petition filed by Al-Mansoor Petroleum Services, seeking to fill the vacancy of the chairman of the Customs Appellate Tribunal.
A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah heard the petition and sought comments from the respondents for June 2, 2016.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel stated that petitioner is a lawful owner of HSD of 19,000 liters (approximately) load on of oil tanker but respondents claimed that they intercepted the oil tanker at Tool Plaza Mirpurkhas Road and confiscated the said HSD oil and tanker on the charges of illegal Iranian smuggled oil. But according to the petitioner, the oil was purchased by M/s Hascal Petroleum Ltd after fulfilling all the requirements.
Petitioner said that against outright confiscation of his diesel the petitioner has filed an appeal before the Customs Appellate Tribunal, Karachi which is pending before the tribunal but after retirement of previous chairman of the said tribunal no new chairman was appointed by concerned authority. SHC had also directed to secretary Revenue Division for fill out the said vacancy but same in not filled in. Due to which the large number of people are suffering the huge backlog of cases. Petitioner pleaded that SHC may direct the respondents to appoint a new chairman and in said post.
Earlier, petitioner had approached the SHC in another petition and on April 02,2016 court had restrained the respondents from auctioning the oil tanker and alleged Iranian smuggled 19,000 liters high supreme diesel (HSD) until the appeal is decided before the Collector of Customs (appeals). SHC also had directed the Collector of Customs (appeals) to decide the pending appeal of the petitioner within 30 days.
