KARACHI: Member Legal-FBR Zeba Hai, in a letter to all Chief Collectors of Customs, sought information regarding ageing of cases at various courts and legal fora. The data compiled suggests that 20,142 cases involving revenue of Rs897 billion are pending at Supreme Court and High Courts alone. These cases are pending for 10 to 02 years.

If this amount is recovered, the country’s financial system could be streamlined to a great extent.

Member-FBR also expressed displeasure for delay in the compilation of this information.

An official said Zeba Hai had formed two committees under the supervision of Secretary Legal Irfan Javed and Additional Secretary Dr. Noman to analyze and prioritize the cases for recovery.

The official said due to slackened economic activity and suppressed imports, FBR was unlikely to meet its targets. “Hence, the focus is now on stuck up revenues.”

Sources attributed shortage of quality resource as the prime reason behind jamming of cases involving revenue.

“There is no system to efficiently pursue the litigation. FBR hires lawyers, which are under-paid; while the defendants, particularly habitual offenders, keep the most expensive law firms. There may be instances of prosecutors deliberately weakening the prosecution.”

As many as 1,420 Customs cases are pending in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), wherein Rs234 billion revenue claims are involved.

In the Sindh High Court (SHC), 7,658 cases are pending involving claims of Rs320.8 billion revenue.

Similarly, Rs243 billion potential revenue is stuck as 5,679 cases are pending at Lahore High Court (LHC). Revenue claims of Rs8.9 billion in 901 cases are impending at Peshawar High Court, while Rs772 million is stuck in 79 cases pending at Baluchistan High Court.