Defamation case: KCCI replies to KESC’s legal notice

With investment decline, technology transfer also slows down.

KARACHI:

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) replied to the legal notice of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) by saying that the chamber’s leadership did not ridicule KESC in any form.

KESC in a defamation notice to the leadership of KCCI two weeks ago demanded an unconditional apology and damages of Rs1 billion for offensive remarks made public on December 3, 2011.

The industrialists of Karachi and KESC have been at loggerheads over load-shedding in the industrial areas of city.

KCCI maintains in its reply that it represents 17,000 industrialists and businesspersons. Moreover, that whatever they did was to protect the interests of its members.

KCCI says that the bad performance of KESC is not a secret and that industrialists protested against the 12-hour load-shedding in city, which was completely justified.

They also protested against KESC management in last few weeks at various fronts in city. KESC demands 180 mmcfd gas from SSGC to end load-shedding in industrial areas, which SSGC says it is not able to provide owing to the current winter season in which gas demand is usually high.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2011.