KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought comments from tax authorities and deputy attorney general on a constitutional petition filed by M/s IPP against raid and harassment by officials of tax authorities under the grab of alleged tax fraud case.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Munib Akhter and Justice Abdul Malik Gaddi heard the petition.
Earlier, the counsel for the petitioner stated that petitioner is doing lawful business of chemicals and shoe adhesives and regularly filing his income tax and sales tax and had never been found to have carried out any practice of tax evasion or tax fraud.
According to the petitioner, Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation of the FBR had been carrying out investigation against one M/s SMD & Sons in the year 2012, during the investigation, the respondent had issued notice on February 27, 2012 to the M/s WS Enterprises, asking its record pertaining to supplies made to M/s SMD and Sons.
The petitioner added that it does not carry out any transaction or sale with both companies. The counsel argued that the respondents issued a notice to the petitioner and it filed a reply but the respondents conducted raid on the premises of the petitioner on April 18, 2016 and harassed the staff of the petitioner.
The petitioner stated that it has nothing to do with the both companies but respondents are threatening it under the garb of alleged tax evasion case.
Citing chairman FBR, commissioner Inland Revenue Zone-I, Regional Tax Office-II, deputy commissioner Inland Revenue, Zone-II, Regional Tax Office-II and others as the respondents, the petitioner pleaded the SHC to restrain the respondents from taking any coercive measures against it. The court was further requested to direct the respondents not to harass to the petitioner and its staff in said tax evasion case.
