KARACHI: The judgment was reserved in Horizon International case involving imported Grey fabric by an appellate bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan on Monday.

The bench earlier heard Sohail Muzaffar advocate, counsel for respondents including Model Customs Collectorate of  Port Muhammad Bin Qasim. The counsel referring to different orders passed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan which heard and remanded back the case to the SHC, submitted that entire controversy hinges on issue of “origin of goods” i.e the place of manufacture and that while importers/petitioners claimed that the goods in dispute Grey Fabric unfinished and un-dyed originated from China and brought to UAE, they have consistently failed in submitting the “Certificate of Origin”.

“They failed because they won’t have one”, he submitted.

The respondent side was cornered when the court raised a legal question that if the stance taken by the respondent Pakistan Custom officials is considered to be correct than how they can term the goods in dispute to be of Indian origin. What is the basis and reasons, data or else based upon leads the respondents to declare the goods being Indian made, the bench asked.

There was no tangible reply from the Customs side after which the bench reserved the judgment in petition by Horizon International and others while new petitions on the same issue will be heard on Sept 28.

Masooda Siraj , Ilyas Ahsan, Sardar Zafar Hussain represented the Pakistan Customs while petitioners were represented by Hyder Shaikh, Rasheed A Razvi, Ms Naheed, Adnan Motan and others.