KARACHI: A divisional bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan on Wednesday adjourned hearing of a 31 constitution petitions seeking implementation of customs rules pertaining to issuance of Delay Detention Certificate besides challenging legality of the same.
The petitions were filed by Haji Abdul Ghaffar Bhundi, N.B Trading Company, Saifullah, J.K Builders etc who maintained that under the Pakistan Customs laws, Custom officials are under obligation to issue a Delay Detention Certificate if goods impounded or stuck up in port for one reason or another.
Barrister Salahuddin representing the petitioners maintained that port authorities and terminal operators are harassing the petitioners by causing in-ordinate delay in release of goods. Besides demurrage and other levies, the loss to imported consignment always looms large. The counsels pleaded to the court to order the port authorities and terminal operators to accept the delay detention certificate.
The counsel for few petitioners who have challenged the legality of section 14-A of Custom Act 1969 submitted that the provision regarding delay detention be omitted.
The bench after hearing Kashif Nazeer Adovcate, counsel for Pakistan Customs adjourned further proceeding to an un-specified date.