LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Wednesday extended till Dec 23 stay against levy of fuel adjustment surcharge on both domestic and commercial consumers in electricity bills. Besides old petitioners, the court gave the relief of stay to more than 200 of new petitioners approached the court on Wednesday.
National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had issued a notification to impose fuel surcharge on electricity bills and the court restrained it from recovering the surcharge or cutting of electricity connections for non payment of bills.
The petitioners have impleaded the federal government, Wapda, Nepra, NTPC, ministry of gas and natural resources, ministry of gas and natural resources, lesco and Punjab government on the matter.
Petitioners through their counsels submitted that acting retrospectively, Nepra and Lesco are unlawfully recovering fuel adjustment surcharge for the past month which are now “past and enclosed transaction” between the consumers and power distribution companies.
They said the notification issued by the respondents imposed huge amount in their bills under an unlawfully added proviso to S.31(4) of the Regulation, Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act 1997 (Nepra Act 1997). They said S.31(4) was added in NEPRA Act 1997 by amendment for imposing taxes and surcharges for the past months acting retrospectively which hitherto was not permitted under the law. They prayed to the court to set aside the back dated notification of 23.8. 2011 and cancel section S.31(4) of the Nepra Act, declaring the amendment in it unlawful and unconstitutional.
verdict reserved: A sessions court on Wednesday reserved the verdict on an application of Mohammad Amin, brother of missing actress Sapna Khan, seeking registration of criminal case against former chief minister Punjab Dost Muhammad Khosa and his accomplices.
Mohammad Azhar Siddique, applicant’s counsel, had submitted that on November 9, he was on the way to home when he met some unidentified persons who claimed that they are side kicks of Dost Muhammad and have been sent by Haider Bukhari and Rana Tanveer Ahmad on behalf of Dost Muhammad to convey the message that if his father Misal Khan did not withdrew his petition against former CM, his family would be murdered. He further submitted that some suspicious persons continuously wandering around his hose which can hurt his family. Petitioner prayed the court to pass an order for the registration of a criminal case against said un-known persons.
Khosa’s Counsel Zubair Khalid oppose the arguments of applicants and contended that Ameen had filed a false application.
After recording arguments, Additional District & Sessions Judge Aziz Ullah reserved the verdict till Dec 24.