PESHAWAR, June 7: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Saturday dismissed 17 identical appeals filed by an international firm in connection with the defunct prime minister’s transport scheme, upholding decrees issued by the banking court.

The bench, comprising chief justice Mian Shakirullah Jan and Justice Ijaz Afzal, observed that the appellant had been the prime beneficiary of the amount deposited by the National Bank of Pakistan for provision of vehicles to applicants under the scheme, therefore, the appellant was liable to pay back the money received by it.

The banking court had earlier decreed in favour of the bank in about 60 suits on Sept 14, 2000. The bank had requested the banking court to direct the Middle East Finance Trading (Pakistan) either to supply the vehicles or to return the money it had received from the bank.

The company had filed several appeals against decrees before the PHC, requesting the court to set aside the banking court’s judgment, saying that the firm was not liable to pay the said amount as the scheme had been abolished.

The lawyers, appearing on behalf of the bank argued that the bank had paid 90 per cent of the amount to the firm while the remaining 10 per cent had been paid by aspiring applicants under the scheme, which was popularly known as the ‘yellow cab scheme.’

He argued that after the scheme was abolished, the firm had neither provided the vehicles nor returned the money.