KARACHI: Announcing a judgment reserved in about a 100 identical petitions filed by importers of tiles from China challenging Regulatory Duty and cumulative taxes and duties crossing 37.5 per cent bar, a division bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) headed by Justice Munib Akhtar on Monday allowed the petitions.
The bench also ordered that differential amount be returned to the petitioners. The petitioners challenged the imposition of Regulatory duty besides normal duties and taxes which were on higher side. Franklin Law Associates representing most of the petitioners maintained that their clients claim exemptions under SRO 497 of 2009 which fixes the total duties at 37.5 per cent of the value. It wa further contended that section 19 deals with the exemptions while RD was imposed under section 18.
Kafeel Ahmed Abbasi appearing for the Pakistan Custom contended that SRO 1035 applies in the case wherein the RD shall be charged separately.
The bench which reserved the judgment earlier announcing the same today allowed the petitions directing the respondents to return the differential amount paid by the petitioners against the an interim relief of release.