SHC asks FBR to explain extra duty on auto industry

The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman on Wednesday to file a specific reply in a set of petitions impugning the imposition of additional customs duty on the automobile industry. A two-judge constitutional bench of SHC headed by Justice Agha Faisal said that prima facie, the inconsistency of initial positions taken by the departments concerned and the subsequent contradictory remedial measures were the issues the government should have resolved. “Since the same was not done therefore repeatedly the matter was referred to the executive domain, however, no resolution appeared in sight”, it added. Around 100 petitions were filed between 2019 to 2024 in the SHC by the automobile manufacturers.