Supreme Court of Pakistan to rule on customs authority

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has decided to wait before making a ruling on the powers of the Director General (DG) Customs Valuation. The court is examining whether the DG can ignore findings from the Valuation Committee. A three-member panel, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, listened to arguments from both sides. They have asked all parties involved to submit their written arguments by April 10. Advocate Ghulam Haider Sheikh, representing importers and manufacturers, argued that the DG Customs Valuation should not have the power to set customs values independently. He said this could undermine the role of the Director of Valuation. On the other hand, a Member of Customs stated that Section 25D of the Customs Act allows the DG to review customs values set by other authorities if asked. The Sindh High Court had previously ruled that the DG could not set these values outside the limits of Section 25A. It also mentioned that local manufacturers do not have a legal standing in matters concerning these sections, which only apply to importers and exporters. The Supreme Court will announce its decision on this matter in the future.