PHC grants status quo against taxes to steel mills

Humayun Khan

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted status quo against sales tax and further tax in electricity bills to 19 steel mills in the newly merged district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while ordering Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) along with other respondents for submission of reply, on Wednesday.

The counsel Shumail Ahmad Butt advocate argued that Income Tax and Sales Tax Department had issued notices for submission of returns respectively while the 19 steel mills had already submitted their tax returns in this regard.

The concerned didn’t accepting the tax returns and demanding submission of wealth returns, the counsel argued. He argued that the concerned departments imposing law on the steel mills despite federal government had exempted the region of erstwhile Fata from it.

The counsel argued Supreme Court of Pakistan as well as PHC had declared imposition of such taxes in the premises null and void. He added that provision such notices to traders will create problems as the area is already terrorism and unemployment.

The steel mills submitting taxes as per but issuance of notices for income and further taxes beyond the conscious, Shumail advocate argued. He requested for declaring of notices as null and void.

PHC’s divisional bench comprising of Justice Abdul Shakoor and Justice Syed Arshad Ali stopped FBR from any adverse action against the petitioners while adjourned further hearing to be fixed.