KARACHI: An appellate bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan heard over a hundred petitions challenging imposition of 1 per cent additional tax on goods/supplies that were previously under Zero Rated regime.

The bench took up the petitions here on Thursday including leading petition filed by NTG Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd. Abdul Moiz Jaffery leading the arguments submitted that he has challenged the SRO. During the course of arguments it came to the notice of the court that while petitions were pending adjudication by the court, some order has been passed. The court expressed anger and said apparently three officers are dealing the single assess. You are playing with the tax payers and playing havoc by assuming jurisdiction in excess, the bench observed. This is disastrous for the tax system the judge heading the bench observed. The court ordered the lady officer Assistant Collector IR, Corporate Zone VI to file an unconditional apology.

The bench later put of further hearing till Sept 19 restraining the respondents IRS from taking any coercive action against the petitioners.