PHC stops SNGPL from collection of GIDC arrears

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday stopped the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) from collection of billions of rupees as arrears of gas infrastructure development cess (GIDC) from industrial units of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa till the next order of the court.
A single bench of Justice Musarrat Hilali issued the stay order in a writ petition of Tops Food Industry Khatar, Haripur. The petitioner’s lawyer Shumail Ahmad Butt submitted before the bench that the SNGPL had issued notice to the industrial units, including the petitioners for recovery of around Rs55 billion from the industries of the province, which was unconstitutional.
In June 2015, the court in writ petition by hundreds of industrial units and CNG stations of the province had stayed the imposition and recovery of the GIDC.The court had restrained the SNGPL from collection of GIDC under the newly passed GIDC Act 2015 tilled next order of the court. ‘