The Supreme Court has ruled that vehicles imported in violation of the Import Policy Order cannot be released and will remain impounded. The ruling came in a detailed written ruling issued for information purposes. A three-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, issued this order. The court had earlier heard dozens of similar appeals related to vehicles imported in violation of the Import Policy Order, 2022. The SC disagreed with earlier judgments of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the Customs Appellate Tribunal and held that importing vehicles beyond the prescribed age limit is illegal and such vehicles cannot be released even after payment of fines. Importers had included vehicles in the baggage, donation and transfer of residence regimes. However, customs authorities argued that these vehicles exceeded the age limit of three or five years allowed by the Import Policy Order. Customs confiscated the vehicles and imposed penalties on importers and clearance agents. Subsequently, the Court and the LHC allowed bail on payment of 35% ransom penalty and due duties. The Supreme Court set aside this order, ruling that vehicles over the permitted age are not importable under Appendix-E of the policy.
Old cars remain impounded, SC rules
