LHC suspends IHC verdict on amnesty scheme for cars
Lahore court asks federal government to submit its reply in response to the latest development in a week.
Lahore court asks federal government to submit its reply in response to the latest development in a week. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court on Thursday suspended the Islamabad High Court’s verdict on the previous government’s amnesty scheme for non-customs paid (NCP) vehicles, Express News reported.
On June 19, IHC declared the amnesty scheme illegal. It also asked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to seize the 50,000 vehicles sold under this scheme and auction them.
The Lahore court today suspended this verdict and asked the federal government to submit its reply in response to the latest development in a week.
Scheme
On March 3, 2013 former PPP government had approved an amnesty scheme allowing owners to legalise smuggled cars after payment of concessional duty and taxes.
The initiative was directed towards the border regions and tribal areas of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where driving cars brought from Iran and Afghanistan sans any tax duty or registration is common.
The FBR, for legalising the NCP vehicles, had allowed 60- 70% depreciation in the value for assessment of duty on used cars not older than five years.
March 31 was the last date to avail this opportunity but the caretaker prime minister had extended the date till April 6.
However Khawaja Saad Saleem President Defence of Human Rights of Public Trust filed a petition challenging the amnesty scheme citing it as illegal and discriminatory.
The Lahore High Court on Thursday suspended the Islamabad High Court’s verdict on the previous government’s amnesty scheme for non-customs paid (NCP) vehicles, Express News reported.
On June 19, IHC declared the amnesty scheme illegal. It also asked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to seize the 50,000 vehicles sold under this scheme and auction them.
The Lahore court today suspended this verdict and asked the federal government to submit its reply in response to the latest development in a week.
Scheme
On March 3, 2013 former PPP government had approved an amnesty scheme allowing owners to legalise smuggled cars after payment of concessional duty and taxes.
The initiative was directed towards the border regions and tribal areas of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where driving cars brought from Iran and Afghanistan sans any tax duty or registration is common.
The FBR, for legalising the NCP vehicles, had allowed 60- 70% depreciation in the value for assessment of duty on used cars not older than five years.
March 31 was the last date to avail this opportunity but the caretaker prime minister had extended the date till April 6.
However Khawaja Saad Saleem President Defence of Human Rights of Public Trust filed a petition challenging the amnesty scheme citing it as illegal and discriminatory.