Pakistan Supreme Court And Power Tariff Raise
Pakistan Supreme Court got involved with NEPRA on the issue of power rates going up. It has issued a stay order on proposed increase in power tariff, which was withdrawn on Thursday.
A three-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja withdrew the stay order on assurance of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority that it would not raise power tariff.
The bench hearing a suo moto on the proposed raise in electricity tariff also issued notices to ministries of water and power, finance to inform the court about the withdrawal of subsidy on power tariff and adjourned the hearing till three weeks.
Counsel for NEPRA, Anwar Kamal told the court that the government has decided not to withdraw subsidy on electricity charges for the time being.
He said that as far as NEPRA is concerned it only makes recommendation on power tariff after examining the suggestions given by power generation companies keeping in view their revenue requirements.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry took suo moto on appeals and columns that appeared in different sections of print media requesting therein that rates of electricity have been increased despite of decrease in oil rates at International Market.
