SHC issues contempt notices to FBR officials in case filed by designer Nomi Ansari

The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued contempt notices on Tuesday to senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in a case filed by fashion designer Nomi Ansari. 

The court directed the Advocate General and Prosecutor General of Sindh to initiate legal proceedings against the officials, including Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue Zahid Masood, Commissioner Rizwan Memon, and Assistant Commissioner Sehrish Javed Mirza.

The two-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, adjourned the case until August 20 for the framing of charges. 

The case stems from an FIR filed against Ansari, and his subsequent placement on the Exit Control List (ECL), over alleged tax fraud. Ansari’s legal team argued that, despite a previous court order to maintain the status quo, his name was added to the Passport Control List (PCL) on June 9, preventing him from traveling abroad to attend an exhibition in the United States.

The bench criticised the FBR for attempting to bypass the court’s orders and for initiating criminal proceedings before completing the civil adjudicatory process. 

FBR’s counsel, Zahid Ibrahim, requested more time to respond, but the court proceeded with contempt proceedings, stating that the FBR and federal government had failed to justify their actions.