KARACHI: The Sindh High Court issued notices to secretary revenue division, chairman FBR, collector of Customs Air Freight Unit ( AFU) Jinnah international Airport, directing that, in case no instructions are given to the standing counsel or others counsel the matter will be proceeded with the basis of record as available on an application filed by M /s Gright Mobile over additional sales tax on smartphone etc.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Munib Akhter and Justice Abdul Malik Gaddi heard the application, during the hearing learned standing counsel stated that the instructions are still awaited.
Earlier counsel of the petitioner stated that as per SRO 542 (1) /2008 dated 11 June 2008 issued by federal government, import of cellular mobile phones and as well as satellite phones, etc were exempted from payment of the sales tax at import stage and supply of goods.
However same was withdrawn and substituted by SRO 280 (1)2013 dated 4th April 2013, whereby exemption accorded on commercial import and as well as supply was withdrawn and fixed sales tax of Rs 1,000 -per cellular mobile phone of brand known as smart phone etc and at Rs 500 per unit on other category on brand was levied at import stage as well as supply.
Subsequently another SRO NO 460 (1)/2013 was issued, whereby categories of the cellular phones were future classified into different categories and fix sales tax was levied on different rate.
