KARACHI: The hundreds of cases filed by or against Pakistan Customs are suffering due to non–representation or non- appearance of the lawyers before different courts of law.
According to sources within Pakistan Customs, department came under wrath of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) recently when its head, chairman of Federal Board of Revenue was summoned by the apex court to tell them that why the lawyers are not appearing in cases by Pakistan customs or cases against FBR, Customs etc.
In an interesting development, a lawyer representing Pakistan customs returned files of dozens of cases as customs failed to pay his professional fee. About 400 to 500 cases are instituted every year in matters pertaining to different custom formations including preventive, appraisement, valuation, export, import.
The lawyers appear before customs court, tribunals, high courts, supreme court etc. To contest such a large number of cases a paltry sum of rupees 2.5 million was allocated for prosecution department of the entire customs department.
The collectorates are helpless as they do not have a specific fund to support the litigation. As a result they have to adjust lawyers by dividing fee amongst them . The cases returned by the Karachi bases lawyers are stated to be of MCC East 100, Export 20-25, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim 150 and Valuation about 10 cases.
We have to bear expenses of court fee, affidavit, identification and other miscellaneous works, a lawyer representing customs said adding that they have to wait for long for getting professional fee.
The discontent amongst lawyers representing customs department is growing and is a main reason behind weak prosecution, another lawyers said adding that FBR and high custom officials must consider allocating sufficient fund to contest cases by and against Pakistan Customs.