The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday was informed by National Electric Power Regulatory Body (Nepra) that K-Electric (KE) is carrying out load shedding in slum areas instead of taking action against electricity theft. The SHC bench was hearing the plea filed by Karamat Ali, Executive Director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) and others who had moved the court seeking permanently injunction on KE's practice of arbitrary and discriminatory load-shedding in Karachi.

Nepra in its reply told the judges that KE does not pay identical consideration to many areas of the city despite its resources, adding that the entire city can be provided fair supply of electricity if KE desires. The regulatory body went on to say that electricity-theft should be nabbed instead of disconnecting power of whole areas. While issuing notices to KE, the court sought its comments in this regard by March 9. Earlier, the petitioners had submitted that KE was carrying out load-shedding in the city in discriminative order and requested the SHC to declare that the Chief Secretary, Sindh Energy Department are under an obligation to ensure enforcement of the right to electricity and right to water under Article 9, Constitution, 1973, for the people of Karachi, and direct these officers to issue directions and take action against the K-Electric to ensure that no arbitrary and discriminatory load-shedding is carried out which would adversely affect the fundamental rights of the people of Karachi.

Copyright Pakistan Press International, 2017