RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI: Supreme Court (SC) Saturday came hard on K-Electric for prolonged and unannounced loadshedding in Karachi and directed the utility to submit a report with it on May 20. Court also restrained it from resorting to unannounced loadshedding on the pretext of load management.
SC took up the case of power outages in Karachi and expressed anger over the prolonged unannounced loadshedding in city. CEO K-Electric Tayyab Tareen appeared in Saturday’s proceedings at Karachi Registry of SC.
While taking up the loadshedding issue, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that privatisation of utility didn’t mean to cause miseries to people of city by restoring to unannounced loadshedding.
He said that lives of people of the city have been ruined due to power outages and remarked, “Isn’t the function of K-Electric to supply electricity to the people.”
He observed that Ramzan is approaching fast and if the situation remained the same, citizens would be subjected to hardships due to power loadshedding.
CJP observed that why a backup system is not put in place if the faults developed in electricity generation and transmission system when counsel of K-Electric told the court that problems arise sometime due to developing of faults in the system.
CEO K-Electric submitted before the court that utility is working to remove the faults, which developed in two of its 18 units. The required parts would arrive in two weeks time to fix the problems, he stated.
Tareen told the court that city needs 3200MGW of electricity whereas generation of electricity stood around 2650MGW. Tayyab told the court that there is loadshedding schedule for some areas of the city when CJP inquired about schedule of loadshedding. CJP showed anguish over unannounced loadshedding and said it is a criminal negligence on part of K-Electric.
Court restrained K-Electric from unannounced loadshedding in city on the pretext of load management and directed to submit a report from K-Electric on May 20.
The loadshedding in Hyderabad also figured in court’s proceedings and court also took exception over unannounced loadshedding in the city. Chief Hesco appeared in the court and was reprimanded by the court on prolonged power outages in the city.
Court directed Hesco to submit a detailed plan for ending loadshedding in Hyderabad. Court said that if loadshedding didn’t end, the power supply at Hesco chief house would be disconnected for 12 hours by not allowing him to even use generator.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court gave one-month time to Mayor Karachi to complete the cleaning of nullahs in Karachi and directed that matters pertaining to hurdles in tenders and development works should be forwarded to Sindh Water Commission.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar while hearing the case on civic issues of Karachi said that all have to work together to make Karachi a clean city and said that situation in Karachi should not turn worst in the rainy season.
Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar informed the court that there are 36 nullahs. A comprehensive plan has been chalked out to start the work on their cleaning. Mayor Karachi assured the court about progress in 15 days. Court gave Mayor Karachi one month time to complete this task.
Meanwhile, CJP Mian Saqib Nisar along with Justice Faisal Arab visited the Central Jail of Karachi. He visited different wards of Central Jail and also visited Prison Hospital which is situated in Central Jail where Prisoners were admitted.
