KARACHI: Business community has welcomed selecting judicial members in the Customs Appellate Tribunal (CAT) and the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) all over Pakistan.

President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) M Shariq Vohra has congratulated the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem for selecting Judicial Members in the Customs Appellate Tribunal and the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue all over Pakistan.

Shabbir Mansha Churra, Convener, Standing Committee on Customs, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Federal Law Minister Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem for setting up two different tribunals to deal with complaints related to taxes and customs at the long-standing demand of the FPCCI.

These tribunals were inactive for a long time and now the members have been appointed by activating these tribunals. The Ministry of Law & Justice has also issued a notification in this regard.

Shabbir Mansha Churra said that the FPCCI had sent letters to the Ministry of Law & Justice for the appointment of members for the tribunals, on which positive progress was made and now the tribunals are functioning and the appointment of members will bring justice to the business community.

According to the notification, Muhammad Arif Khan has been appointed as Chairman Customs Applet Tribunal Bench I, while Abdul Jabbar Qureshi has been appointed as Judicial member for Bench I, Karachi, Dr Naveed-ul-Haq, Member Bench to Karachi, Mumtaz Hussain Member Peshawar Bench and Abdul Zahir Achakzai has been appointed as a Judicial Member for Quetta Bench. Similarly, 10 Judicial Members have been also appointed for redressal of disputes related to sales tax, income tax and grievances.

Shabbir Mansha Churra further said that setting up of tribunals will speed up the resolution of disputes and grievances related to customs and sales tax & income tax.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021