LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman, secretary finance and secretary revenue on a petition challenging an amendment in the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 through the Finance Bill 2012.
Mandiali Paper Mills Limited filed the petition through Advocate Anwar Kamal and submitted that federal government had bound the manufacturers to collect one per cent tax by amending Section 153(A) of the Income Tax Ordinance 2011 from distributors, wholesalers and dealers involved in different type of business.
The FBR, government and its departments had not consulted with the stakeholders concerned and stealthy introduced such controversial clause in the ordinance. Binding the private businessmen for collection of one per cent tax was a violation of Article 18 and 24 of the Constitution of Pakistan, Kamal pointed out.
He also questioned the parliamentary proceedings on the bases of which the Section 153(A) was introduced through the Finance Bill 2012.
He requested the court to strike down the clause 153(A) by declaring it illegal and unconstitutional. He also prayed for suspending the operations of the clause till the final decision of the petition.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan recorded the initial arguments and admitted for regular hearing the petition.
The court issued notices to FBR chairman, secretary finance, secretary revenue, federal government, secretary law and parliamentary affairs and sought reply from them until August 6.
INFANT MURDER CASE: Also, the Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered Gawalmandi police to complete investigation of infant Fahad murder case against young doctors within one week.
As the proceedings started on a petition seeking quashment of the FIR by young doctors, their counsel Raja Zulqarnain argued that the doctors were dragged into the fake case for observing strike for their rights. All the accused doctors were working at Services Hospital while the alleged occurrence took place at Mayo Hospital. The Punjab government resorted to political victimisation against the young doctors, the counsel alleged.
Representing complainant Afzal, Advocate Shamimur Rehman Malik argued that the accused doctors forcibly pull the drip out of the vein of Fahad and other children to make their strike successful. Justice Ijazul Ahsan adjourned hearing until July 31 and directed the investigating officer to complete investigation by the next hearing.
SUMMER VACATIONS: Meanwhile, the district and sessions courts will remain closed on account of summer vacations until September 1. According to a spokesman of courts, during summer vacations, 12 additional and sessions judges will remain available to deal with bail and other cases of emergent nature. The courts would reopen on September 1 on the completion of summer holidays, he added.