KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought comments from the customs authorities on a petition seeking provisional release of a consignment of betel nuts.
A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, adjourned the hearing until January 8 when Advocate Kashif Nazir, the counsel for the Customs Department, sought time to file comments.
Petitioner Lakhani Impex, through its counsel, submitted that it had imported a consignment of betel nuts and filed general declaration for the clearance of the consignment. However, the customs authorities raised objections to the quality of betel nuts. They said that the betel nuts were contaminated and not fit for human consumption.
The petitioner’s counsel said that the importer had time and again approached the authorities requesting them to re-examine nuts but to no avail. Therefore, he pleaded the court to order the authorities to re-examine and release the consignment.