KARACHI: An appellate bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed  ordered Pakistan Customs, Preventive officer to surrender a Suzuki APV vehicle before Nazir of the court by March 01.

The bench was hearing Ms Dil Khurram Shaheen advocate appearing for petitioner Nasreen Begum resident of Hala, District Hyderabad sought release of the vehicle. The petitioner impugned an Order in Original 454/2016 issued on 20-01-2017. According to customs, the vehicle was intercepted on a tip off and a search lead to the recovery of cigarette of foreign origin. The driver/occupant of the car was unable to produce documents both of the Suzuki APV as well as cartons of cigarettes load in the said vehicle.

Both the vehicles as well as good present in it were seized  and a FIR was lodged.

Masooda Siraj advocate, counsel for Pakistan Customs Preventive  submitted that the petition is not maintainable as the petitioner has not exhausted appellate forums available to him. Further the violations were double in nature as both the vehicles as well as good recovered from the said vehicle were smuggled, she contended praying to the court to dismiss the petition.

The bench however after hearing the counsel of petitioner as well as department ordered the officer having custody of the vehicle to bring in the same and hand it over to the Nazir of the court by March 01, the next date for hearing of the petition.