RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday issued notices to power distribution companies for May 23 in a petition challenging unscheduled loadshedding in the holy month of Ramazan.

The petitioner, Judicial Activism Panel, during the proceedings, through its Chairman Azhar Siddique argued that the government had failed to control unscheduled load shedding. In 2011, it assured the court to overcome the power crises but still could not do so, he said. He said industrial and trade activities have slowed down while unemployment has increased. It seems powers and gas shortfall is a genie that the government cannot put back in the bottle, the lawyer said.

The petitioner said the country’s major portion has plunged into darkness.

Azhar said the government presently guarantees, subject to certain conditions, 16 percent $-indexed return to the equity investors in renewable power projects. Unfortunately, the public money is being wasted by the respondents on the name of so-called projects and nothing has been done by any other department for to overcome the electricity shortfall, he said. He submitted that electricity interruption is increasing day by day while prices are increasing and the masses are bearing the brunt of power shortages.