KARACHI: Justice Salahuddin Panhwar of High Court of Sindh on Friday ordered Pakistan Customs to amend an Importer General Manifest (IGM) and release about half a dozen consignments of peanuts from India and to submit a compliance report by Sept 07.
The bench earlier heard Khawaja Shamsul Islam Advocate, counsel for plaintiff Sun Rise International Trading Company Limited, Masooda Siraj, counsel for Collector Customs, Model Customs Collectorate, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim and Sohail Muzaffar advocate, counsel for Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT).
The counsel for plaintiff at the outset submitted that notices issued by the court to original consignee United Commodities have been pasted, publication made but the said party is not coming forward. He submitted that item is of perishable nature and Custom authorities be directed to released the consignment to the plaintiff.
Masooda Siraj, appearing for Pakistan Customs submitted that unless the IGM is amended as per section 45 (2) of the Custom Rules 2001, the consignment could not be released. When the court asked that if the original impoter is not coming forward what could be done. She submitted that department cannot do any thing on its own but would follow whatever order is passed by the court.
The court later directed the Customs to release the consignment to the plaintiff within next fifteen days. Further proceedings were deferred till Spet 07 for submission of a compliance report by the defendant officials.