Justice Azmat Saeed of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday allowed collector of Customs Department Lahore to seize 200 mobile phone sets along with all accessories of a Bangkok returnee who brought illegally used-foreign phones sets in Pakistan.
A PIA passenger Yasir Saeed had brought 200 used phone sets with all accessories in his luggage from Bangkok and his luggage was seized by the customs authorities on May 6, 2011 at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, calling it a violation of customs rules.
The passenger challenged the step of customs authorities before customs tribunal which on June 8 directed customs to return the phones since he brought the phones for relatives and family members. The collector of Customs filed a reference in the Lahore High Court through his counsel Izhar ul Haq against the judgment of Customs’ Tribunal submitting that the passenger had violated the customs laws by importing used phone sets which was prohibited under the law and he did it without license to import such a large quantity of phone sets.
Customs counsel told the court that the phones were costly and no one would bring such a huge quantity for family. The said import of used-models of foreign phone sets was prohibited in the country therefore the customs acted as per law in seizing his luggage containing 200 phones. Justice Azmat Seed after hearing arguments both parties suspended the tribunal’s judgment and held that customs authorities had seized the phones lawfully and could keep seized phones.
Petition challenges price hike, hoarding: Invoking the constitutional provisions relating to the fundamental right to life, a writ petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court to question the constantly increasing price of the items of daily use of the common man as well as hoarding of food items by a class of people.
The petitioner Judicial Activism Panel through advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique has asked the court to enforce a revision of prices and said prices should be controlled through the committees comprising of civil society people, lawyers, journalists, professionals and others. The petitioner has enlisted Federal and the Provincial Government, Interior Minister, NAB, FIA, Competition Commission of Pakistan, Commissioners and DCOs throughout Punjab and others as party
The petition claims the government amounts to a sheer violation of the Constitutional provision and the Islamic injunctions particularly article 2A and 277.
The petition also holds the price hikes in violation of Food Stuff Control Act of 1958, Control of Prices of Essential Items Act and others. The petitioner suggested the setting up summary trial courts under the Magistrates to punish hoarders on the spot and increasing jail for this offence from three to 10 years and fine from Rs 100,000 to to Rs 1,000,000.
