JI takes KE to court over electricity loadsheding in Karachi

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against K-Electric (KE) for excessive load-shedding in Karachi, ARY News reported.

As per details, the petition named the Ministry of Energy, NEPRA, and KE as respondents and requested the court to direct KE to provide uninterrupted electricity supply, especially during the heatwave.

The petition claims that KE’s schedule is incorrect and that 71% of feeders are exempt from load-shedding.

The petition also states that NEPRA has imposed a fine of Rs 50 million on KE for poor performance. The JI has demanded that KE be held responsible for technical faults and that they be rectified.

According to the petition, Karachi faces an average of 16 hours of load shedding daily, with temperatures soaring above 40°C.

READ: JI launches ‘resistance movement’ against power outages, budget 2024

The heatwave has resulted in hundreds of citizens being hospitalized daily, affecting the city’s business community and students.

Jamaat-e-Islami earlier announced protest against the loadsheding against ongoing water and electricity crises on Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Faisal on Friday.

It is pertinent to mention here that Jinnah Hospital reported 31 more cases of heat stroke and one fatality due to heatwave in Karachi.

Meanwhile, Civil Hospital has seen a significant surge in heat stroke cases, with 348 reported since June 1, resulting in 12 deaths.

The hospital witnessed a particularly alarming increase on June 24, with 8 deaths, and June 26, with 4 deaths.

On June 25, as many as 1,592 people were admitted to Jinnah Hospital due to a heatwave in Karachi