Peshawar High Court Bars Excise Duty on Hand-Stemmed Tobacco
A two-judge bench disposed of 14 petitions by growers, companies and threshing units against the levy, warehouse sealing and confiscation.
The Peshawar High Court has held that federal excise duty cannot be imposed on green leaf or hand-stemmed tobacco unless the leaf has been processed and converted by a green leaf threshing (GLT) unit, Dawn reported.
A bench of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Mohammad Faheem Wali gave the ruling while disposing of 14 petitions, according to the newspaper.
The petitioners were tobacco growers, tobacco companies and GLT units. They challenged the levy of federal excise duty on hand-stemmed tobacco, the sealing of warehouses and godowns belonging to some of them, and the confiscation of un-manufactured tobacco and machinery kept in those premises.
ProPakistani reported that the verdict was delivered on Thursday and described the ruling as covering green leaves and hand-made tobacco.
The order means the duty does not attach to the leaf at the hand-stemming stage, before it passes through a threshing unit. Dawn put the holding in those terms, saying the levy required processing and conversion by a GLT unit.
The two outlets described the same holding in slightly different words. Dawn's headline referred to hand-stemmed tobacco, while ProPakistani's referred to green leaves and hand-made tobacco.
Dawn reported that the bench issued multiple directions along with its order, but the text of those directions was not available in the accounts published by either outlet.
The bench disposed of the petitions rather than granting the relief sought in full, Dawn reported. Neither report said whether the warehouses and godowns sealed in the petitioners' cases would reopen or whether the confiscated machinery and un-manufactured tobacco would be returned.
Constitutional court bars Peshawar High Court from hearing 3-MPO arrest cases
A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan issues notices and stops, for now, the enforcement of orders restraining the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration from making the arrests.
Peshawar High Court grants bail to 150 PTI workers held under MPO
The News International reports the order covers 150 detainees held under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order, but names no bench, districts or date.
Security forces kill four militants in Bannu operation
Security sources say the raid was carried out under Azm-e-Istehkam and that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the dead, with no security force losses reported.
Swabi clears four roads of encroachments, reclaims state land
Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah says no one may build on government land or occupy market footpaths; the report gives no total area recovered.
Pakistan and Tajikistan conclude joint counter-terrorism exercise Dosti III
The third edition of the bilateral drills was held at the Special Operations School in Cherat and began on 26 October, according to ISPR.
Eight killed, 30 injured as bus hits truck on Hazara Motorway
The passenger bus was travelling from Gilgit to Rawalpindi when it collided with a dumper truck near the Havelian Interchange early on Friday, rescue officials said.
NA panel backs Padhana grid station, questions Rs125m transfer
The power committee told HAZECO to prepare a separate funding case for the new Haripur station while an MNA sought a record check on the unfinished Sarai Saleh project.
Troops foil infiltration bid in Kurram after Afghan Taliban firing
Security sources say the fighters belonged to Fitna al-Khwarij and that Pakistani troops used heavy weapons against the positions that opened fire.