KARACHI: A full bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar and Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro on Monday reserved judgment in an old constitution petition 71/1994 pertaining to levy of Iqra surcharge upon imported goods.
The petitioner GulAhmed Textile Mills challenged the levy while Pakistan Customs questioned the maintainability of the petition on ground that whether the Federal Government is a necessary party or not and that in the present petition federal government was not sued/made respondent.
According to details, petitioner engaged in the manufacture and export of textile products imported five units Waukesha VHP 7100G Gas Engine Drive A.C Generators for Air Tack Shuttle-less looms from USA.
The importers then claimed benefit of SRO 854 (I)/1991 dated 26-8-1991 under which consignment was free from any custom duty or other taxes.
The case was prolonged and lastly a few months back the SHC bench hearing the counsel for petitioner as well as counsel for Pakistan Customs including Masooda Siraj, Zafar Hussain and others reserved the judgment. As the judgment could not be delivered, the court ordered rehearing and accordingly the rehearing held today briefly, in which respective sides reiterated their arguments after which it was again reserved for judgment. Iqra surcharge was levied to raise funds for universal education. It was collected and accumulated to the tune of billions of rupees but could not be spent as planned due to faulty government policies.