Pakistan, June 26 -- The Supreme Court has ruled that arresting taxpayers without first determining their tax liabilities is illegal and unconstitutional. The court emphasized that criminal cases cannot start until the tax liability is confirmed.

A three-member bench, including Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, and Justice Aqeel Abbasi, delivered a detailed judgment stating that initiating criminal proceedings without allowing taxpayers the right to appeal is unfair.

The court clarified that arrests without a prior hearing or civil process violate constitutional rights. It stressed that filing direct tax evasion cases without proper investigation amounts to misuse of power.

Furthermore, the court pointed out that the Di...