KARACHI - The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday sought reply from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) in a contempt of court application pertaining to unannounced loadshedding.

The CEO of K-Electric submitted his report before the court stating that due to some technical fault in Bin Qasim power plant, loadshedding was being carried out in some parts of the city. However, now situation is under-control and no prolonged loadshedding is being reported in anywhere in Karachi after the installation of parts which were imported recently from abroad.

Ayan Memon Advocate, counsel of the KE, argued before the court that the load management is being done in the city, and it has also been submitted to the Supreme Court.

The court, after hearing the KE report, has directed the petitioner to submit their reply in the next hearing on June 12.  

Petitioner’s counsel Faisal Siddiqui said that despite the judicial order, Nepra is avoiding taking action against K-Electric.

He added that the court had ordered Nepra to comply with its own instructions, but it failed to do so.  He also denied the KE claims saying that an announced loadshedding is still going on in across the city.

Barrister Faisal Siddiqui said that KE is still unable to increase its production capacity and did not invest as per agreement.

The court has also asked the Nepra official to submit its report in the next hearing.

A contempt application was moved by Karamat Ali and others seeking compliance with court order.  The petitioners submitted that hours-long unannounced loadshedding has troubled the citizens of Karachi.

Earlier, Barrister Faisal Siddiqui has pointed out that the Supreme Court in 2014 had directed the power utility not to resort to loadshedding in Ramazan and the KE was violating the apex court’s order by still carrying out loadshedding as major parts of the city plunged into darkness during sehri timings, and the Nepra is avoiding to take any action against the power supply company. Barrister Siddiqui argued that the KE did not increase its production capacity as per the agreement.

The petitioners submitted that over 1,000 people lost their lives and over 40,000 people were affected by the heatwave in Karachi and other parts of the province in 2015. They sought enforcement of the fundamental rights and the law for the victims, the survivors and their families.

The petitioners pleaded the court to issue direction to the provincial and the federal government to provide compensations to the heatstroke victims, and declare the heatstroke patients were entitled, as a fundamental right under the Constitution, to demand an appropriate compensation from the government.

He added that the residents of the metropolis have fallen victim to unprecedented and sporadic power cuts as KE and the Sui Southern Gas Company engage in a war of words over a low supply of gas to the electricity provider which has impeded the provision of electricity to consumers.