The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Friday sought details of general sales tax (GST) charged from CNG consumers over the last six years, as a three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed hearing the CNG price hike case.
The court questioned the law under which an additional tax was being collected from CNG consumers.
The bench asked Attorney General Munir A Malik why 26 percent tax was imposed on CNG when the maximum GST rate was 17 percent.
The attorney general said 17 percent GST was being charged from consumers while the remaining nine percent was collected from CNG station owners.
The chief justice remarked that the apex court had ordered to check price hike due to the increase in GST rate. “The court should be told what steps have been taken by the government in this regard.”
The government has no control to check rising prices of essential items in markets.
Justice Ejaz Chaudhry said the national exchequer was empty due to corruption and that its burden should not be transferred to the people.
Later, the court ruled that details of the GST charged on CNG from June 13, 2007 to June 30, 2013 should be submitted in the next hearing. The hearing was adjourned until July 24.
Earlier, the CJP remarked that democratic representatives had not preferred the people in the matter of gas despite the fact that democratic governments were representative of the people.
“Those sitting in the departments cannot be taken to task by any one. The government has inducted these people again so that they keep on fighting with Supreme Court (SC). If it is so, we will fight and will keep on fighting for the sake of public interest. The holy month of Ramadan is approaching. Flood of price hike is raging. The right to life is being snatched from the poor. When prices of petroleum products go up, all commodities of daily use become expensive.”
Justice Ejaz Chaudhry remarked “If the national kitty is empty owing to corruption why is its burden being shifted to the people. People had not elected their representatives to commit corruption. No proceeding is initiated against the plunderers of billion of rupees. The government finds only the people to shift the burden.”
