KARACHI: A customs appellate bench of High Court of Sindh on Friday dismissed a Special Customs Reference Application filed by Directorate I&I and ordered release of a BMW car.
Masooda Siraj advocate appeared for the applicant department against Naveed Yameen, owner of a BMW vehicle.
Ms Dil Khurram Shaheen advocate appearing for the owner submitted that the vehicle was imported by Russian diplomatic mission and was subsequently purchased by the petitioner/respondent. She also contended that orders from hierarchy of customs as well as tribunal, all are in favor of the owner.
The bench after perusing the documents and hearing arguments from contesting sides dismissed the SCRA ordering release of the vehicle.
The same bench comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Mahmood A Khan on Thursday ordered release of a Toyota Surf.
The counsel for customs opposed the petition maintaining that when authorities of Port Muhammad Bin Qasim were asked about the purported auction, they denied of any such auctioning of the said vehicle.
Why the custom auction vehicles, close this door once for all, the bench observed
Ms Dil Khurram Shaheen advocate appearing for the petitioner/owner maintained that no import documents were given to the purchaser at the time of auction and later vehicles were detained and cases were made. She referred to a recent auction of a Toyota Premio car by the customs and said it was sold for rupees 1.4 million but no import documents were handed over to the auction purchaser.
The bench after hearing the sides ordered release of the vehicle.