ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday directed the government to review the recent price hike in electricity tariff and submit a reply regarding it in two days, Express News reported.
The apex court issued the directive today while hearing a case related the increase in power tariff.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry stated that “the general public should not be punished for the wrongdoings of the people who steal electricity."
“Strict investigation should be done against the people involved in power theft,” he further added.
Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif said that the government is ready to review the notification issued on September 30.
New prices
The SC had questioned the government’s new energy policy a day after a near 30 per cent increase in power tariffs and 4.2 per cent hike in fuel prices were announced.
The court, while hearing a case on load-shedding on October 1, sought the copies of two separate notifications announcing increase in electricity prices. If the notifications were issued unlawfully, we will pass an interim order, the chief justice said.
The first notification was issued by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on August 5 and the other by the government on September 30. The chief justice observed that the government apparently has no right to regulate petroleum prices.
“[Increasing oil prices] is the exclusive domain of the regulators who have nothing to do with the government policy,” Justice Jawwad observed.
"This needs to be examined as the tariff should not be increased in such a manner," Chief Justice Chaudhry also said.
COMMENTS (11)
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Coming into power, people had a expectation to meet with relief, what they received? more power crisis and price hike, everything of daily use going up breaking all the limits, life has becom a Icon of deprivation. I am a pakistani, it is my life.
popular will thought,people in the field struggling for power corridor are credible and overcome the esclating power crisis,but failed absolutely failed
Now people are seeing back the rulers like Musharraf, president in uniform.
If Pakistan Constitution allows the SC to micromanage Pakistan - then you need to change the Constitution. Seems to me the SC is involved in managing everything in Pakistan except fixing the inept/corrupt judicial system.
@sid Policy decisions at the cost of million of poor people to benefit the rich and electricity bills defaulters,
Initially SC was passing order but now just telling.
The court is exceeding its brief............Elected govt take policy decisions and are answerable to public but courts are not accountable...........
The supreme court will paralyze this government like it did the previous.
This has been totally abstruse and esoteric that why government takes the such these types of steps in which Supreme Court interferes and takes suo moto notice and then government revises the increased rates or methinks even I am sure that government has this old bad habit to coerce Supreme Court to take suo moto notice against any of its taken harmful steps for the nation or government is proving this phrase true,id est,always old habit goes hard? Can any democratic government not do any thing in which Supreme Court couldn't interfere and take suo moto notice?In other words PML-N is following the same footsteps of PPP to coerce Supreme Court to take suo moto notice.....
Where are the people who used to say that SC do not confront with PML(N) govt and those who call him Cheap Justice?
It would be better if CJ could also take notice of Millions of pending cases across the country and the cost of litigation that prevents another few millions to knock the doors of courts.
No electricity or expensive electricity is not as dangerous as no justice or expensive justice.
First things first please !
(P.S. No, am not a PML, PPP, PTI, JI, JUI etc. supporter)
The one who is paying income tax should have electricity on very nominal charges otherwise have to pay the current charges. Will increase tax net and more money to the government.