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Official Citation: 2024 IHC 58
Court / Jurisdiction: Islamabad High Court
Year of Decision: 2021
Decision Date: 2021-05-25
Parties: M/s. Islamabad Electric Supply Company Limited vs Additional Commissioner Inland Revenue etc.
Ruling Summary: This decision was rendered by the Islamabad High Court on 2021-05-25, officially reported as 2024 IHC 58. In this matter between M/s. Islamabad Electric Supply Company Limited and Additional Commissioner Inland Revenue etc., the court adjudicated key questions of statutory construction, procedural regularity, and legal precedent under Pakistani law.
Core Holding: The honorable bench evaluated governing statutory provisions and judicial authorities to establish the rights of the parties, delivering the binding reasoning set out below.
Case cited as 2024IHC58
Court Name: Islamabad High Court Judge(s): Aamer Farooq (C.J) Title:M/s. Islamabad Electric Supply Company Limited vs Additional
Commissioner Inland Revenue etc. Case No.: W.P No.1825 of 2021 Date of Judgment:2021-05-25 Reported As: 2024 IHC 58, 2024 PTD 30 Result: Petition Disposed of Judgment ORDER Through the instant petition, under Article 199 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, the petitioner has sought inter alia direction to respondent No.2 to decide its pending appeal and in the meanwhile restraining respondent No.1 from initiating the recovery proceedings in pursuance of recovery notice dated 02.03.2021 for the tax year 2020. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the impugned notice is illegal, arbitrary and against the law. It was further contended that initiation of recovery proceedings during the pendency of petitioner's appeal is against its fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. It was further contended that it is trite law that unless there is adjudication by one independent forum, no recovery proceedings can be initiated against the assessee. In this behalf learned counsel placed reliance on the case titled "M/s Pak Saudi Fertilizers Ltd. Vs. Federation of Pakistan and others" (2002 PTD 679), "Z.N. Exporters (Pvt.) Ltd Vs. Collector of Sales Tax" (2003 PTD 1746), "Brothers Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd Vs. Appellate Tribunal Sales Tax" (2003 PTD 1836). Learned counsel further contended that delay in decision of the appeal is not on part of the petitioner, therefore, impugned recovery notice dated 02.03.2021 may be suspended and recovery proceedings be stopped till the final decision of the appeal by respondent No.2. 3. The submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner have substance. In this behalf the Hon'ble Supreme Court of Pakistan in case titled "Mehram Ali Vs. Federation of Pakistan etc." (PLD 1998 SC 1445) has specifically held that there should be adjudication of grievance by an independent Tribunal and even Lahore High Court in numerous judgments has held that an
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assessee is entitled to adjudication in respect of his disputed tax liabilities by at least one independent forum outside hierarchy of the respondent department. 4. In view of the above, the instant Writ Petition is disposed of with direction to respondent No.2 to hear and decide the appeal within a period of Sixty days and till then no coercive measures shall be adopted against the petitioner by respondent No.1.