Mst. WALAYAT BEGUM vs THE COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, DRY PORT, LAHORE
This petition for leave to appeal challenges a judgment of the Lahore High Court, which declined to issue a writ of mandamus against the Collector of Customs regarding the assessment and subsequent auction of a Mercedes Benz. The core legal question was whether the High Court correctly refused to exercise its extraordinary writ jurisdiction when the petitioner had failed to exhaust available statutory remedies. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, holding that the High Court’s decision was legally sound. The Court emphasized that the petitioner, having provided an undertaking to pay the assessed customs duties and subsequently defaulting, could not bypass the established hierarchy of appeals and revisions within the Customs Department. The ratio of the decision is that the extraordinary jurisdiction of the High Court is not intended to be a substitute for statutory appellate remedies. Consequently, where a petitioner fails to avail themselves of the departmental remedies provided by law, the High Court is justified in refusing to intervene, particularly when the petitioner's own conduct contributed to the grievance.
- Can a petitioner invoke the extraordinary writ jurisdiction of the High Court without exhausting available statutory remedies?
- Is the High Court justified in refusing a writ petition where the petitioner has failed to honor a prior undertaking to pay customs duties?
- Does the existence of an appellate hierarchy within the Customs Department preclude the filing of a writ petition against a customs assessment?
- Article 199, Constitution of Pakistan 1973
MUHAMMAD ARIF, J.- Leave to appeal is claimed against judgment dated 3.11.1999 passed by the Lahore High Court, Lahore in Writ Petition No. 19898 of 1999 declining to issue a writ/order in the nature of mandamus to respondent-Collector of Customs not to harass the petitioner and a declaration to the effect that the demand of custom duty made from her in relation to a used Mercedes Benz 250-D Car be declared as illegal, with the following observations:- "3. Learned legal advisor of the respondents submits that petitioner gave an undertaking to the Customs Authority that she will pay the duty till 22.10.1999 but despite the undertaking, she failed to pay duties/tax assessed on the imported items and in these circumstances, the goods were auctioned on 29.10.1999.
4. It is thus obvious that the assessme nt was made by the Assistant Collector, petitioner undertook to pay the Customs Duty and other taxes, the payment was not made by the petitioner, which resulted in the auction of the goods. If the petitioner was aggrieved by the order of assessment, she could have challenged the order in appeal before the forum in the hierarchy of jurisdiction, In presence of available remedy, petitioner could not possibly invoke extraordinary jurisdiction of this Court.
5. This petition is, therefore, disposed of with the observation that the petitioner may avail her remedy of appeal before the authorities concerned in accordance with law."
2. We have heard Malik Allah Yar Khan, learned ASC appearing in support of this petition and Mr. A.
Karim Malik, learned Sr. ASC on behalf of the respondents in terms of order dated 28.12.1999.
3. When the attention of Mr. Khan was drawn to the fact that the learned Judge in Chambers had duly noticed his client's undertaking to the Customs Authorities to pay duties/tax assessed on the imported item till 22.10.1999 but she failed to do so which necessitated the auction of the goods on 29.10.1999 i.e. About a month earlier than the hearing of the cause in the High Court without resorting to the appropriate remedies within the hierarchy of respondent- authorities, he had nothing to urge to the contrary.
4. We find that resort to extraordinary jurisdiction of the High Court by the petitioner, without availing her remedy of appeal before the authorities concerned, was not in order and the learned Judge in Chambers was quite right in observing that no special reason existed for coming to the rescue of. The petitioner who had failed to resort to the remedies of appeal/revision etc. Before the Customs Department in relation to the impugned assessment.
5. Not findings any force in the above petition, the same is dismissed and .