IHC expresses dissatisfaction over Ministry's report

26 Mar, 2015

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by Ministry of Water and Power in a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), challenging excessive electricity bills by distribution companies.

The court also directed the amicus curiae to submit their report on next hearing.

Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) seeking to declare the overbilling illegal, null and void.

The court observed that an independent commission should have to be constituted to audit the issue of excessive bills by the electricity distribution companies during the months of last year, so that the matter could be resolved.

Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the report submitted by the Ministry of Water and Power was not able to satisfy the court.

The counsel for the petitioner Farrukh Dal Advocate informed the court that Amicus curiae could not submitted their report on the matter. He said that overbilling is breaching the rights of citizens.

After short arguments, the court adjourned hearing of the case for indefinite period.

In previous hearing, the court had directed the Secretary Water and Power to submit a comprehensive report regarding the issue of overbilling.

The court had also appointed two amicus curiae including Director Anwar Kamal and Senior Lawyer Babar Satar in this case, who also could not submit their report so far.

On October 17, the PTI leaders Asad Umer, Arif Alvi and Shireen Mazari filed a petition to challenge the excessive billing by the electricity distribution companies and had made respondents including secretary Ministry of Water and Power, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and all the electric power distribution companies Discos.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2015

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