KARACHI: Notice was issued for Sep 09 to a Karachi based NGO “Health Care and Social Welfare Association” in a Special Customs Reference Application (SCRA) filed by the Pakistan Customs, Preventive by an appellate bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Abdul Malik Gaddi here Thursday.
The bench earlier heard Kashif Nazeer advocate counsel for applicant Customs Preventive who challenged the order of the Special Customs Appellate Tribunal which allowed the appeal by the NGO ordering release of the consignment of medicines confiscated by the respondent department under section 32 of the Customs Act 1969.
The counsel for applicant submitted that respondent NGO imported a consignment from United Kingdom and declared that if was gifted to them by a Manchester based NGO namely World In Need Organization having registered office at 256, Upper Charlton Road, Manchester, M 16, OBN, UK. The counsel submitted that when the address of the donor was checked with the assistance of the Pakistani diplomats, it was found that no NGO existed at the given address after which the entire consignment of medicines was confiscated.
The NGO filed the appeal before the special appellate tribunal which allowed the same ordering release of the consignment. The medicines allegedly donated include Injection Superfact, Nicorette Icemint, Tab Furolin and injection Anexate. The above medicines are used for hormonal treatment or infection of the urinary tract and considered to a be costly in terms of price.
Today the counsel for respondent/NGO prayed to the court to decide the case at the earliest on ground that medicines received by them as donation will go waste. The medicines may be given to the Jinnah Post graduate Medical Center, submitted counsel for NGO adding that in case of delay in hearing of the SCRA, the medicine may expire.
The Custom Preventive believes that a major scam has been detected as there may be hundreds of NGO;s enjoying zero rated import of costly medicines.