KARACHI: A divisional bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Khadim Hussain M. Shaikh on Monday ordered issuance of notices to Director General, Valuation, Pakistan Customs for today fixing the hearing at 1200 noon.
The bench was hearing two identical petitions filed by A.R.G Enterprises and PIVA International who imported tooth paste from Indonesia. The Customs Valuation in the mean while revised Valuation Ruling VR 813 of 2016 dated 28-1-2016 by VR 848 of 2016 dated 6-5-2016 increasing the Customs Duty and other taxes from US 85 cents to 1.5 US $ per kilogram which is almost double than charged in previous reading.
Today Ghulamullah advocate appearing for the petitioner submitted that they have availed remedy available and have filed an appeal before the Director General Valuation and same was challenged in the instant petitions also. He said that new VR was issued in violation of section 25 (a) of the Customs Act 1969 as respondents hurried in determining and issuing new VR 848 of 2016.
The court called the counsel for the department but both were unreachable. The bench then adjourned hearing till July 26 (Today) while issuing notices to the respondents including DG Valuation.