Clear LNG consignments without demanding cess, SHC to Sindh govt

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday restrained the Sindh government from taking any adverse or coercive action against the Pakistan LNG Company and to allow it to clear its consignment without demanding infrastructure cess subject to furnishing of bank guarantees equivalent to differential amount.

The direction came on the petition of Pakistan LNG against imposition of road infrastructure cess by the Sindh government. The petitioner's counsel submitted that the company was importing liquefied natural gas and later onwards safe re-gasified LNG. He submitted that LNG was transported through Sui Southern and Northern gas companies through pipelines through Port Qasim in term of relevant transportation agreement between SNGPL and SSGCL and no road infrastructure was used for the purpose.

The SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, after preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the advocate general Sindh and others and in meantime restrained the Sindh government from taking any adverse or coercive action against the Pakistan LNG company. The court also allowed the company to clear its consignments without demanding infrastructure cess subject to furnishing of bank guarantees equivalent to differential amount.