KARACHI: A division bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Iraf Saadat Khan and Justice Arshad Hussain on Friday fixed Aug 18 to hear a petition against alleged illegal auction of a Toyota Hilux (4X4).
Syed Muhammad Ashar Zaidi, petitioner moved the court citing Collector of Customs, Adjudication I, Director General Intelligence and Investigation as respondents maintains that respondent officials of I&I detained his vehicle bearing registration number CS 5012 on ground that it was smuggled one and plying on road without payment of duty, taxes etc.
The petitioner maintains that the vehicle was duly and lawfully imported by Toyota Indus Motors in 1994 and was purchased by the Inspector General Police Sindh on 18-5-1994. The vehicle remained in use for 13 year under number SP-4855 and was then sold through public auction and was purchased by one Taqadus Hussain who got it registered from Motor Vehicle Registration wing after submitting all relevant documents.
The vehicle was in possession of petitioner when on 26-5-2015, it was detained by the Customs. The petitioner was given 5 days time to submit/show the import documents for release of his vehicle. The petitioner then filed an appeal before the Collector Adjudication and later before Special Customs Appellate Tribunal and while appeal was pending before the tribunal, Customs auctioned the vehicle.
The petitioner prays to the court to declare the said auction illegal, restrain the respondents from handing over the vehicle to auction purchaser and lastly to declare that vehicle was lawfully imported by the Toyota Indus Motors.
Today the bench adjourned the hearing for paucity of time, fixing Aug 18 as next date of hearing when it will be heard and decided. It is worth mentioning that Customs recently paid a compensation of rupees 1 million to a petitioner in an identical case wherein respondents sold a double cabin pickup.