KARACHI: Justice Yousuf Ali Saeed of High Court of Sindh on Friday ordered issuance of notice to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for May 7 in a suit filed by Engro Polymer & Chemicals Ltd against import of allegedly “hazardous” PVC scrap.
As the suit was taken up for hearing, Masooda Siraj and Sardar Zafar Hussain advocate appearing for Pakistan Customs, defendant submitted that a report from a reputed institute is available according to which the samples sent for laboratory test have been declared “non-hazardous”. She said that custom will be auctioning the consignments under dispute and detained at Karachi port since 2012. To a question she maintained that in 2002, 2012 and 2018 identical parameters were resorted to determined the status of the consignments in dispute.
The bench inquired about the role of EPA in such matters. Khalid Javed Khan advocate, appearing for the plaintiff, chemical giant pointed out that role of EPA is central to the controversy and that it was also now mandatory as per policy guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The bench later putting of further proceedings till May 07 ordered issuance of notice to EPA on next date of hearing. The small individual importers were badly hurt by the filing of the suit as unable to bear demurrage and other taxes they abandoned the consignments which if allowed will be auctioned by the Pakistan Customs bagging huge amount.