AIRLINK 193.77 Decreased By ▼ -6.98 (-3.48%)
BOP 9.87 Decreased By ▼ -0.34 (-3.33%)
CNERGY 7.57 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-1.82%)
FCCL 39.41 Decreased By ▼ -0.65 (-1.62%)
FFL 16.29 Decreased By ▼ -0.52 (-3.09%)
FLYNG 25.84 Decreased By ▼ -0.81 (-3.04%)
HUBC 129.86 Decreased By ▼ -2.74 (-2.07%)
HUMNL 13.83 Decreased By ▼ -0.09 (-0.65%)
KEL 4.53 Decreased By ▼ -0.12 (-2.58%)
KOSM 6.47 Decreased By ▼ -0.12 (-1.82%)
MLCF 45.57 Decreased By ▼ -1.17 (-2.5%)
OGDC 209.11 Decreased By ▼ -3.32 (-1.56%)
PACE 6.72 Decreased By ▼ -0.18 (-2.61%)
PAEL 41.85 Increased By ▲ 0.57 (1.38%)
PIAHCLA 17.13 Increased By ▲ 0.13 (0.76%)
PIBTL 7.90 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-2.59%)
POWER 9.36 Decreased By ▼ -0.06 (-0.64%)
PPL 177.92 Decreased By ▼ -3.54 (-1.95%)
PRL 39.01 Decreased By ▼ -2.77 (-6.63%)
PTC 25.53 Increased By ▲ 0.83 (3.36%)
SEARL 106.73 Decreased By ▼ -5.11 (-4.57%)
SILK 0.99 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-1%)
SSGC 39.53 Decreased By ▼ -4.39 (-10%)
SYM 19.45 Increased By ▲ 0.47 (2.48%)
TELE 8.64 Decreased By ▼ -0.23 (-2.59%)
TPLP 12.53 Decreased By ▼ -0.39 (-3.02%)
TRG 65.34 Decreased By ▼ -2.13 (-3.16%)
WAVESAPP 11.15 Decreased By ▼ -0.27 (-2.36%)
WTL 1.73 Decreased By ▼ -0.06 (-3.35%)
YOUW 3.94 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-1.25%)
BR100 12,030 Decreased By -140.3 (-1.15%)
BR30 35,812 Decreased By -776.7 (-2.12%)
KSE100 113,520 Decreased By -1360.2 (-1.18%)
KSE30 35,651 Decreased By -473.7 (-1.31%)

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notices to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, secretaries Establishment Division and Law, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP), and Chairman/Judicial Member over appointments of a junior person as chairman in Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) by the prime minister.

It has been alleged that the prime minister, through a notification dated 14.04.2023, made appointment of a junior person as Chairman ATIR. This notification has been challenged before the LHC with the request that the LHC may set aside the notification dated 14.04.2023 for appointment of junior Judicial Member as chairman and to direct the competent authority to forthwith appoint the most senior member of the ATIR as chairman as per law laid down by the Supreme Court in Al-Jihad Trust case.

Tax lawyer Waheed Shahzad Butt told this correspondent that earlier on the appointment of a junior most Judicial Member as Chairman, MOL had reversed back the illegal notification on the basis of constitutional petition Waheed Shahzad Butt Versus Federation of Pakistan (WP No 7303/2023) but after lapse of two months same episode has been repeated without any fear of accountability.

The LHC noted that the petitioner had found the present appointment is in violation of Rule 3(7) read with Rule 8 of the ATIR (Appointment of Chairperson and Members) Rules, 2020, same is also in contradiction with Rule 8(3-B) of the Civil Servant Rules, 1973. Petitioner has also challenged the amendment made in Section 130 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. Conferring of power of subordinate legislation to Prime Minister is also violative of law laid down in M/s Mustafa Impex case (PLD 2016 SC 808) and Article 242 of the Constitution.

The petitioner has been represented by Chaudhary Anwaar-ul-Haq, Tahir Mehmood Butt, and Khurram Shahzad Butt and assailed notification dated 14.04.2023, whereby respondent No. 5 (Mian Tauqeer Aslam) has been appointed as chairman (BS-22), ATIR, on an acting charge basis, till the appointment of the regular incumbent.

The petitioner has also challenged amendment made in Section 130 through the Tax Laws Amendment Act, 2020 on the ground that amendment could not have been brought Money Bill, as has already been held by the Supreme Court in PLD 2017 SC 28.

Mirza Nasar Ahmad, additional attorney general and Syed Sajjad Haider Rizvi, assistant attorney general for Federation of Pakistan accept notice. Since vires of rules and laws are challenged, therefore, notice under Order XXVII-A of CPC be also issued to the Attorney General for Pakistan.

The case has been relisted on May 4, 2023.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023

Comments

Comments are closed.

Parvez Apr 21, 2023 10:55am
Making appointments to suit the requirements of people in power is the name of the game....and it has always been so for the past four decades or more.
thumb_up Recommended (0)