KARACHI: Intellectual Property Rights department of Pakistan Customs has held more than 200 consignments and 195 of them were released after bargain with the importers, alleges a importer company in a constitution petition filed by it and heard by a division bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) here Tuesday.
According to the petitioner SAS company they imported a consignment comprising of Sun glasses, frames and watches which were detained by the respondent IPR on ground that a complaint has been filed with them. A notice of hearing was also purportedly issued to the importer who denied receiving any notice and asked the respondent IPR to release his consignment. The importer also demanded than name of the complainant be disclosed to them.
The petitioner company then through law firm Franklin Law Associates filed the petition maintain that the consignment was detained on fake ground as no complaint or complainant was available on record. It was also submitted that no security of rupees 500,000 was deposited as mandatory under SRO 170/2016.
The petitioner also alleged that during previous six months this practice was started by the department and about 200 consignments were detained on identical ground and 195 out of 200 were released after bargain with the importers.
The bench after hearing a counsel from petitioner side while issuing notice for June 21 ordered the respondent department to come up with the justification for detaining the consignment. The court further ordered that if there is no complaint or complainant on record then consignment shall be released.