KARACHI: A customs appellate bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Abdul Malik Gaddi disposed of a petition filed by Shaheen Automotive Private Limited which imported coil sheets.
The consignment was detained by the customs and later a public notice was issued by the Chief Collector Customs. The dispute pertains to classification that whether the consignment was of primary or secondary quality.
The petitioner company challenged the public notice as well as jurisdiction of the Chief Collector by filing the instant petition through Franklin Law Associates. The petitioner maintained that without lab test nature of the consignment could not be ascertained at which the bench ordered lab test. In the meanwhile the adjudicating authority passed an ex-parte order and a contravention report was made.
The order in original was then challenged by the petitioner before the tribunal which is non-functional at present. The petitioner’s counsel in view of above prayed to the court to order provisional release against deposition of security money.
The bench allowing the request while disposing of the petition ordered release of the consignment after securing the disputed amount of custom duties, taxes etc.