A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday, while upholding the levy of market fee on sugar and textile mills, has advised the petitioners to approach the irrigation department for redressal of their grievances.
The court after hearing all the parties dismissed the petitions challenging the levy of market fee.
The petitioners contended the fee in question was a tax in its nature for which respondent market committee was not competent to levy the same, only federal government could levy that tax, but the respondent market committee without lawful authority levied the fee in question.
It was prayed to the court to set aside the decision of the respondent market committee and direct the respondents not to harass and threaten the petitioners for recovery of the said fee.
The law officer contended the market committee levied the fee in question in accordance with the law. He prayed to the court to dismiss the petitions in limine for being not maintainable.
The court upheld the decision of market committee and dismissed all the petitions.