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  • Jun 22nd, 2018
  • Comments Off on Unannounced loadshedding: KE, HESCO asked to submit undertakings
Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed K-Electric (KE) and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) to submit undertakings on unannounced loadshedding in one week. The bench of apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar at Karachi Registry resumed the hearing of the case related to unannounced loadshedding in Karachi and other parts of Sindh. Officials of KE and HESCO appeared in yesterday's proceedings of the case.

Chief Distribution Officer KE informed the court that the utility is making efforts to increase the power generation, for which investment is being brought about. The counsel for KE told the court that utility is facing a power shortage.

He informed the court that city has been categorized in three zones to carry out the loadshedding and the duration of loadshedding is determined according to the zone.

CJP remarked that loadshedding in Karachi is not due to Kunda system but the lack of planning to improve the system. "Tell us what efforts have been made to replace the obsolete system of electricity with the efficient one in the city," the CJP inquired and added that electricity theft can't be done without the involvement of the staff of utility.

Mian Saqib Nisar also asked KE to furnish in writing that power generation plant would not be shut down in future and warned the officials of the utility of strict action if the plant was closed down.

Justice Sajjad Ali Shah remarked," What is the fault of those who pay their electricity bills on time. They are made to endure the long hours of loadshedding for no fault of theirs," he observed.

During the course of hearing, the CJP also observed that people have got written off loans and then they pretend to be paupers. "If investigations are undertaken against them, luxury vehicles would be recovered from their possessions," he added.

Meanwhile, SC sought a progress report from Chief Secretary Sindh about the investigations into the Thar coal corruption case when a larger bench of SC resumed the hearing of the case.

Advocate General Sindh Zamir Ghumro appeared before the court. The CJP Mian Saqib Nisar asked him to resign from his office on moral ground after the departure of previous provincial government by following in the footsteps of Attorney General for Pakistan, who resigned from his office the other day.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2018


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