ASHFAQ BROTHERS vs ANTI-DUMPING APPELLATE TRIBUNAL OF PAKISTAN S — 2024 PTD 1227 LAHORE-HIGH-COURT-LAHORE

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ASHFAQ BROTHERS VS ANTI-DUMPING APPELLATE TRIBUNAL OF PAKISTAN S. 70(13)---Orders passed by the Anti-Dumping Appellate Tribunal (Islamabad), assailing of---Lahore High Court, territorial jurisdiction of---Scope---Forum non conveniens, doctrine of---Appellants were importers of various commodities subjected to duties under the Anti-Dumping Duties Act, 2015 ('the Act 2015')---Appellants preferred appeal, before the Lahore High Court, against orders passed by the Anti-Dumping Appellate Tribunal situated at Islamabad ("Appellate Tribunal")---Contention of the appellants was that they were residing within the territorial jurisdiction of the Lahore High Court and it would be convenient for them to invoke its jurisdiction---Plea of the official respondents was that the appellants had changed their addresses with mala fide intent, so said jurisdiction could not be assumed on their convenience---Validity---Cause of action, in the present case, arose either at Islamabad or Karachi and even the present appellants while preferring their appeals before the "Appellate Tribunal" mentioned their addresses of places other than Rawalpindi city---Apparently, the appellants had now changed addresses for their convenience or for any other reason best known to them---Court cannot assume jurisdiction on the whims of the parties or to facilitate any of them---Doctrine of forum non conveniens is founded on the principle that if some other forum is more appropriate and the interest of justice would be served better, the Court may decline to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that a case could be suitably tried by another Court---However, said principle, being a discretionary power, allows courts to dismiss a case where another court, or forum, is much better suited to hear the case, having competent jurisdiction, which is the appropriate forum---Word "High Court" used in subsection (13) of S. 70 of the Act 2015 corresponds to Islamabad High Court and, as such, the Lahore High Court lacks territorial jurisdiction to ponder upon the decision of the "Appellate Tribunal"---Resultantly, all the appeals were returned to the appellants to present the same to the Court of competent jurisdiction---Appeals were disposed of accordingly.

ASHFAQ BROTHERS vs ANTI-DUMPING APPELLATE TRIBUNAL OF PAKISTAN S — 2024 PTD 1227 LAHORE-HIGH-COURT-LAHORE

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