KARACHI: The hearing of a constitutional petition seeking immediate appointment of Chairman to Special Customs Appellate Tribunals was adjourned till July 04 as a law officer for federal government sought time to take instructions from respondents.
A divisional bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice ZafarAhmed Rajput earlier heard counsel for Customs and Sales Tax Practitioners Association’s who submitted that during pendency of this petition over 600 appeals have piled up. The number is increasing day by day as only the Chairman can mark the cases to the different benches / tribunals.
The court has already issued notices to the Federal Secretary, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs besides Deputy Attorney General for Pakistan in the petition
The petition was filed by President Saleem Mangrio and Joint Secretary Ghulamullah advocate. The petitioners maintains that post of the chairman is vacant since four months which has led to chaos at the Appellate Tribunals which are dysfunctional.
No provision of the Customs Act 1969 restrains the tribunals from exercising powers and hearing the appeals pending as well as fresh, Ghulamullah Advocate, one of the petitioners told the court.
He said that members of the petitioner association as well at public at large are suffering from the delayed appointment.
The petitioner prays to the court to direct the respondent Law Secretary to fill the post immediately.