KARACHI: A divisional bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan on Wednesday sought comments from Pakistan Customs (Preventive) in a number of identical petitions filed by Pakistan Ships Agent Association and All Pakistan Shipping Association.
The petitioner questions the directive issued by the respondent Model Custom Collectorate (MCC) Preventive asking the petitioners to rationalize the charges they recover from importers of goods including container charges etc.
The bench taking up the identical petitions noted that no comments were filed by the official respondents including FBR and directed the MCC- Preventive specifically to file the comments by March 10.
According to details All Pakistan Paper Merchants Association moved the higher authorities of FBR, Customs, Ministry of Ports and Shippings and others relevant agencies against alleged arbitrary charges collected by the shippers at varied rates. They maintained that at times , the shipper charges exceed the value of the goods placing the importers in disadvantageous position.
The complaint was marked to the MCC Preventive as it has the authority to issue license to the shippers who asked the shipping companies to come up with a rational approach and charge the importers equally. The petitioners impugned the directives in the instant petition alleging harassment by the authorities.