KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to the Customs Department and Deputy Attorney General of Pakistan on a constitutional petition filed by one Irshad Hussain S/o Ibrahim, owner of bus No: SGM-851, seeking release order of his bus taken into possession by the Customs Department.
Hearing the petition, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, directed them to file their respective para-wise comments on the next date of hearing.
Earlier, counsel for the petitioner stated that he is engaged in a lawful business of import of buses and fulfils all the liabilities according with law. He maintained that he imported a bus No: SGM-851 and filed Goods Declaration in accordance with the law, however he was informed by the officials of the Customs Department that his vehicle was impounded on the allegation that imported vehicle does not fall within the ambit of current import policy.
The counsel submitted that the imported vehicle may be released as some other vehicles have also been released according to the current import policy.
Citing Secretary Revenue Division, Secretary Ministry of Finance, Chief Collector of Customs Model Customs Collectorate, Deputy Collector of Customs Adjudication Iftikhar Ahmed, Collector of Customs and others as respondents, he pleaded the court to kindly declare the act of the respondents as illegal, mala fide and arbitrary.
He also pleaded for the release of his vehicle and requested to restrain them from taking any coercive action against the petitioner till the final order in this petition.