LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday suspended income tax recovery notices issued to the JDW Sugar Mills of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen and directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to decide appeal of the mills within a month.

Advocate Shahzad Elahi argued on behalf of the mills that the FBR issued a notice for the recovery of Rs19.9 million income tax (financial year 2011) despite the fact that matter was pending before Inland Revenue tribunal.

The counsel said the commissioner of Inland Revenue also issued a stay order in the favour of the mills. However, he said, the FBR kept issuing notices for the recovery of the tax. He said the latest notice was issued to the mills on Aug 27.

The lawyer added that the tax recovery notices had been issued by the FBR at the behest of previous government for political reasons as the mills was owned by the PTI leader. He asked the court to set aside the tax recovery notice for being unlawful.

Justice Shahid Waheed suspended the impugned notice and directed the FBR Inland Revenue Tribunal to decide the appeal of the sugar mills within 30 days.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2018