The Peshawar High Court has ordered the immediate opening of the Superior Tobacco Company and restrained the FBR from taking any action for sealing the factory on the pretext of a CCTV camera.
The writ was heard by a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Dr. Khurshed Iqbal.
Senior lawyer Ishaq Ali Qazi Advocate appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioner. He told the court that the FBR has sealed Superior Tobacco, based in Swabi, for not installing cameras in tobacco factories, although cameras are not installed in factories in any province of the country except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The petitioner’s lawyer said that CCTV cameras had been installed in the factory on the instructions of the FBR, and time was given till August 25, but despite this, the factories were sealed, which is unconstitutional and against fundamental rights.
The petitioner’s lawyer said that the province is already facing problems due to terrorism and natural disasters, and in these circumstances, it is beyond understanding to make more people unemployed. Ishaq Qazi, while giving further arguments, said that such measures will create more problems for investors, so such measures should be discouraged so that investment can increase.
Ishaq Ali Qazi told the court that they deliberately want to eliminate the industry of this province and shift it to Punjab. This is being done under a well-thought-out conspiracy, and they want to shift the capital from this province. Investors will not invest here again. At present, this is the only active industry in the province in which thousands of workers are employed. There is also a fear of thousands of people becoming unemployed due to such measures.
The petitioner’s lawyer told the court that 26 factories had been sealed earlier, and the court had also directed that these factories must be opened. After the arguments were completed, the court issued a notice to the relevant authorities, restraining them from de-sealing Superior Tobacco Swabi and taking any action against them, and sought their response.
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