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Friday March 29, 2024

Notice to govt on tax on lawyers

LAHORE The Lahore High Court on Wednesday stayed recovery of general sales tax (GST) levied on the professional fee of advocates and issued notices to federal and provincial government.Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah issued the stay order on a petition filed by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore Tax

By our correspondents
September 10, 2015
LAHORE
The Lahore High Court on Wednesday stayed recovery of general sales tax (GST) levied on the professional fee of advocates and issued notices to federal and provincial government.Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah issued the stay order on a petition filed by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore Tax Bar Association and Lahore Bar Association challenging the levy of 16 percent GST on the lawyers.
During the course of hearing, the LHCBA President Pir Masood Chishti argued that the levy of the impugned tax on the fee of advocates would make the provision of justice unaffordable. He said the litigant public would have to bear the burden of the tax in addition to the fee to engage an advocate. He prayed to the court to strike down the levy of the GST.
Justice Shah as an interim relief stayed the recovery of the GST from lawyers and issued notices to the governments. The judge also sought assistance of attorney general and advocate general Punjab on next hearing.
Deferred: Justice Ijazul Ahsan of Lahore High Court on Thursday deferred for arguments on maintainability of a petition challenging the appointment of Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran (VC) as VC and his elevation as professor in 1990 from the office of assistance professor.
Dr Aurengzeb Alamgir, former professor of Urdu Department moved the petition.
During the hearing on Wednesday, judge asked the petitioner counsel whether an appointment could be challenged after 25 years.
Petitioner Dr Aurengzeb Alamgir submitted that Dr Mujahid was promoted out of the way and in violation of merit and his appointment as VC was also politically backed. He alleged that the syndicate misused its powers to promote VC.
He requested to set aside his appointment as VC and initiate an inquiry against him that how he got the status he was enjoying presently against the merit.
PU legal adviser Malik Awais Khalid while opposing the petition said that the VC had retired in 2011 and his appointment was being challenged after 25 years. He submitted that appointment order of Dr Mujahid Kamran as professor was as per rules and regulations and no violation was committed.
He said that as the time of Dr Mujahid Kamran’s appointment, the Lahore High Court’s Chief Justice attended the Syndicate meeting. He said the petition was not maintainable and should be dismissed with fine.
He also informed that a similar petition had already been dismissed as withdrawn.
Petition dismissed: Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition against challenging appointment of Dr Shazia Qureshi as Principal University Law College.
The University Law College’s faculty member Dr Shahbaz Cheema had filed a review petition against Dr Shazia Qureshi regarding her appointment as Principal University Law College.
Adviser Malik Awais Khalid argued that Dr Shazia Qureshi was appointed as professor under the same criteria, which was being adopted by the administration since 2000 for appointment and promotion of faculty members at Punjab University.
Counsel submitted that even the petitioners Samee Uzair, Javed Sami and Shumaila Gul were also appointed following the same rules and regulations. He also submitted the record of 800 faculty members appointed in PU following the same rules and regulations.