The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday reserved its verdict in a case concerning the federal government’s ban on imports from India and Israel, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
According to the report, the federal government had imposed restrictions on imports from the two countries, a move that was subsequently challenged before the Lahore High Court (LHC).
While the Lahore High Court declared the import ban to be constitutional, it also issued certain directions to the federal government.
These directions were later challenged by the federal government before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).
The case was heard by a three-member bench of the FCC headed by Justice Aamer Farooq.
During the hearing, counsel for the Secretary of the Revenue Division, Hafiz Ehsan Khokhar, argued that issuing directions while maintaining the policy amounted to an overreach of judicial authority.
The counsel for the Secretary of the Revenue Division maintained that matters relating to foreign affairs, trade policy and national security fall outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
Khokhar contended that decisions regarding trade with enemy countries are the exclusive prerogative of the government and that courts cannot issue instructions for the review or reconsideration of such policies.
Counsel for the Secretary of the Revenue Division Khokhar urged the court to strike down the Lahore High Court’s directions while allowing the import ban to remain in force.
After hearing the arguments, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) reserved its decision in the matter.
