KARACHI: The hearing of dozens of petitions pertaining to imposition of Regulatory Duty (RD) was adjourned till Dec 7 by a division bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Omar Sial after counsel for FBR Kafeel A Abbasi and Additional Attorney General Salman Talibuddin concluded their arguments on behalf of federal government.

The counsel for respondents defended the imposition of the RD on more than 400 items and said that FBR and federal government are empowered to impose the new levy for increasing federal revenues dwindling fast.

The petitioners mainly individual importers, associations including Tile Importers Association FPCCI and others questioned the legality and powers of the government to enforce the levy without taking the matter to the federal cabinet and out of annual budget.

Hyder Shaikh advocate of Franklin Law Associates appearing for a number of petitioners has argued that imposing the RD by the federal finance minister without approval of the federal cabinet made it illegal.

The court will now hear rebuttal on Dec 07.