Ogra given last chance in plea against tax on POL products

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court Wednesday gave last chance to Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and Ministry of Petroleum to submit reply in a petition challenging additional tax on petroleum products. 

Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh passed the order on the petition filed by a lawyer. On previous hearing, the judge had sought reply but the authorities concerned did not submit reply. On it, the judge directed Ogra and the ministry concerned to submit reply on next hearing. The petitioner submitted that additional tax on POL products was illegal. The public had already been aching under the burden of heavy taxes while the government had been imposing more and more taxes.

POL prices were falling in the international markets but in Pakistan the authorities concerned had been charging additional taxes, he stated. The government now was charging 17 per cent extra tax on the petroleum products. He prayed the court to bar the government from charging extra taxes on POL products. 

VC: The Lahore High Court chief justice Wednesday issued notices to the provincial government and the Punjab University on a petition to bar acting vice chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran from heading meetings of the varsity’s syndicate. Punjab University College of Information Technology’s principal Mansoor Sarwar filed the petition saying the acting vice chancellor had been acting beyond his powers.

Advocate Saad Rasool argued on behalf of the petitioner that the respondent had been working as acting VC as process to appoint a permanent incumbent was yet to be completed. He said the respondent acting VC convened a meeting of the university syndicate for next week to approve many important administrative and policy issues of the institution.

The counsel said under the law a permanent vice chancellor of the university had the jurisdiction to approve policy and administrative matters. However, the respondent had been blatantly acting beyond his powers, he argued. 

The university’s counsel opposed the petition and argued that Kamran had been exercising his powers in light of a notification issued by the governor.

He urged the court to dismiss the petition for being a baseless. The chief justice adjourned hearing for Thursday (today) and directed the university’s lawyer to submit the governor’s notification. 

EPA: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Punjab chief secretary and director general of environmental protection agency on a petition challenging appointment of the director general.

The LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah sought replies by September 19.

The CJ issued this order on a petition of Zubair Niazi. Appearing before the court on his behalf, Advocate Sheraz Zaka submitted that the appointment of EPA DG Dr Javed Iqbal had been made in violation of service rules. He argued that the service rules state that the appointment of EPA DG could be made through either promotion from director within the department or recruited through Punjab Public Service Commission but the present appointment has been made from housing department as Javed Iqbal had been working as technical adviser in housing department and transferred to Environmental Protection Agency which is a violation of rules.

He said there was also an inquiry pending against the DG within NAB regarding procurement of equipment in laboratory established in Multan. He submitted that for the past 10 years the Punjab EPA had been establishing its eight regional laboratories but not made functional so far owing to corrupt practices of public functionaries.

He said it must be inquired that what remedial measures had been taken to establish regional laboratories of Punjab EPA in order to enforce environmental laws.

The CJ issued notices to the CS and EPA DG to explain and inquire what remedial measures had been taken regarding establishment of regional laboratories in Multan, Faisalabad, Rahimyar Khan, Gujranwala and Bahawalpur for the enforcement of environmental laws and also explain that how the appointment of EPA DG could be made in violation of rules.