The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected the appeals of gas companies in the gas infrastructure development case and ordered them to pay GIDC tax. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam had reserved the verdict on February 20, which was announced on (Today) Thursday. More than 70 companies were parties in the case and all their applications have been rejected. The Supreme Court in its judgment ordered the gas companies to pay about Rs 400 billion in taxes to the government. The government had waived off Rs 220 billion of GIDC through an ordinance but the government withdrew the ordinance following criticism from the opposition. The Attorney General had sought an early hearing in the Supreme Court on the directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan, on which the court has given its verdict today. The SC bench, led by Justice Mushir Alam, and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah after taking up a GIDC case and conducting hearings on 107 petitions and appeals of several cotton mills, textile mills, sugar mills, chemical companies, CNG filling stations, cement companies, match factories, and aluminum industries relating to GIDC levy for two weeks on February 20, 2020, had reserved the verdict in GIDC case. It is pertinent here to mention that the former government had imposed the tax of Rs 417 billion while the incumbent regime had waived Rs 220 billion. The government then withdrew the waiver ordinance after the opposition’s criticism.