SC sets aside PHC's order against loadshedding

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has rejected Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order to end power loadshedding in the province, ARY News reported on Tuesday. 

The Peshawar High Court in its verdict ordered Peshawar Electric Power Supply Company (PESCO) to continue uninterrupted power supply to the consumers paying their monthly electricity bills.

Following the high court’s verdict, PESCO moved to the Supreme Court.

The PESCO plea stated that PHC in its verdict has ordered to register cases against officials in case of loadshedding in the province. The problem of power outages is being faced by masses across the country and registration of cases only against PESCO officials will be ‘unjustified,’ the plea stated.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan took up the plea of PESCO.

Read more: Remote-controlled electricity theft uncovered in Pakistan

SC bench terming the verdict of the Peshawar High Court against the law, ordered the affected people to contact the National Electronoic Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) in this regard.

The apex court remarked as per law NEPRA and its tribunals are entitled to hear the pleas against the DISCOs. The high court cannot issue the verdict directly.

The caretaker government has launched a crackdown on power thieves across the country to minimize the losses in the power sector to ease circular debt. The International Monetary Fund has ‘asked’ Pakistan to minimise the circular debt in the power sector.