Supreme Court orders formation of tax benches at Quetta and Multan

The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the government to immediately establish benches of Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) at Quetta and Multan to provide relief to taxpayers of those areas.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan issued the orders while hearing a suo moto action regarding, “Non-Functional Tribunals/Administrative Courts on Account of Vacancies”.

During the hearing, the Apex Court asked the Chairman of the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue Shahid Masood Manzar Bhatti if there is any bench in Quetta on which Bhatti said that there is no bench in Quetta and all the taxpayers from Baluchistan who seek relief had to travel to Karachi along with lawyers and tax officials.

The Chief Justice termed it injustice with the taxpayers of Baluchistan and asked why a bench could not be established in Quetta. He directed to take necessary steps to immediately set up benches of Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue at in Quetta.

Similarly, to another similar question about a bench in Multan, the court was told that there is no bench of Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue in Multan and the taxpayers of Multan and adjoining areas travel to Lahore for getting justice on which directions were issued to establish a bench immediately in Multan.

Shahid Masood Manzar Bhatti said that a letter will be written to the Registrar of the Baluchistan High Court for a space to set up a bench and Ministry of Law and Justice will also be informed in this regard.