KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday postponed the hearing of more than 60 cases related to customs and income tax due to the boycott of lawyers on the call of Pakistan Bar Council, Sindh Bar Council, Sindh High Court Bar Association, Karachi Bar Association and Malir Bar Association against the killing of Balochistan Bar Association’s president and over 70 people at Quetta’s Civil Hospital.
On Tuesday, the judges of the SHC were informed that the lawyers bodies announced full day strike against the killing of over 70 innocent people, including president of Balochistan Bar Association. Therefore, the court postponed the hearing of more than 60 cases related to custom and income tax without any proceedings.
It needs to be mentioned here that a suicide bomber targeted the emergency services ward at Quetta’s Civil Hospital when dozens of lawyers gathered at the hospital following the killing of the Balochistan Bar Association’s president, who was shot dead in a separate shooting incident at Monday morning.
According to the roster, A two-member bench, comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Abdul Malik Gaddi could not take up the following cases; Inland Revenue (IR) commissioner versus M/s Beach Luxury Holdings Pvt Ltd, IR commissioner versus Sheikhpura Textile Mills, customs collector versus M/s Salman Brothers, IR commissioner versus M/s Allied Petroleum Company, IR commissioner versus Glacier Pvt Ltd, IR commissioner versus M/s Iqra Roller Floor Mills, customs collector versus M/s Al – Hamra Trading Company, IR commissioner versus M/s Pakistan Gum Ind Pvt Ltd, customs collector &others versus M/s Searle IV Solution Pvt Ltd & others, M/s Cresent Investment Bank Ltd and other cases.
Another bench, comprising Justice Munib Akhter and Justice Anwar Hussain, could not proceed with the cases filed by customs collector, M/s Naushero Feroz-1 CNG Station, Shabbir Badruddin & others, M/s Hamad Engineering Co, Ismail Industries, M/s Services, M/s AGP Pvt Ltd, M/s Forty Man Pvt Ltd, M/s Wing Security Pvt Ltd, M/s Telenor Pakistan Pvt Ltd and others.
Meanwhile, the Customs Court on Tuesday postponed hearing of 20 cases related to customs due to the boycott.
According to the cause list, 03 out of 20 cases were fixed for formal hearing of accused namely as Nasir Mahmood &others, Muhammad Minhas Hussain &others and Khurram Aftab &others.
Four out of overall 20 cases were fixed for prosecution evidences against accused Sheikh Jee Muhammad Salim & others, Muhammad Rashid, Muhammad Arif and Muhammad Amjad Mughal &others.
Remaining 13 cases were fixed for confirmation of bails of accused namely as Muhammad Nadeem & others, Asif Malik &others, Maqbool Ahmed & others, Hussain Raza & others, Sohail Ejaz &others, Ghulam Mujtaba &others and Shahid Sohail &others.