LAHORE: The Customs Appellate Tribunal Lahore presenting the scene of vacation on Monday as no appellants and respondents could reach due to shortage of petrol in Lahore and lawyers strike.
An official here at tribunal said that staff of the tribunal was present almost totally to perform their daily routine duties. He said that employees have also to pay over price of petrol to reach the office. He added that Bench I and Bench II of the tribunal heard almost 20 or more cases in a day but on Monday could not hear the number of cases as the lawyers and parties were not present. He also informed many parties came from other cities to join the court hearings.
It is important to mention that Lahore has been facing shortage of petrol for seven days that has affected every walk of life. An appellant while talking to Customs Today said that petrol was considered basic necessity in the modern age. He said that lawyers and both parties of a case were also facing difficulties to attend the court hearings. He urged the government to resolve the issue regarding the shortage of petrol on war footings.
On the other hand, lawyers had strike on Monday to show annoyance over the sketches published by French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo. Due to the boycott lawyers did not appear in courts in Lahore and other cities of Pakistan and hearing of several cases remained pending. As per information available, more than 15,0000 cases have been postponed due to the strike.
The Customs Appellant Tribunal Lahore hears the appeals of almost all Punjab Collectorates against the decision of collectors. While the appellants from Gujranwala and Sialkot districts could go either Lahore or Islamabad to lodge appeal against the decisions.
