Sindh

SHC serves contempt notices to NEPRA, K-E top brass

Hearing of Omar Saeed Sheikh's appeal against death sentence adjourned

Our Correspondent May 23, 2018

Sindh High Court. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI: On a petition regarding unannounced load-shedding in Karachi, the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Tuesday contempt of court notices to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) Chairperson Brigadier (retd) Tariq Sadozai, Nepra Vice-Chairperson Syed Mansoorul Haq, K-Electric (K-E) Chief Executive Officer Tayyab Tareen and other K-E officials.

The petitioner, Karamat Ali, alleged that the SHC had declared frequent power suspension during the 2015 heatwave as unannounced load-shedding and had directed K-E to increase its power generation.

The petitioner argued that the recent fault in the Bin Qasim power station showed that the power utility had not improved its infrastructure. He asked the court to issue contempt notices to K-E and Nepra's top brass.

Hearing postponed on contempt plea against Sindh's CM, chief secretary

Action stayed

The SHC also stopped the Cantonment Board Clifton from sealing a restaurant, BBQ Delights Zaiqa, on the Sea View strip. A two-member bench heard the matter on Tuesday.

A lawyer representing the petitioner informed the court that the restaurant was served in April with a notice regarding the non-payment of property tax. The lawyer argued that after the 18th Amendment, only the provincial government had the right to collect property tax. The court granted a stay against the sealing of the restaurant till May 31.

Daniel Pearl case

The SHC also adjourned on Tuesday the hearing of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh's appeal against his death sentence in the Daniel Pearl murder case due to the absence of his lawyer, Khawaja Naveed.

Hearing delayed due to posting of Justic Munib Akhtar in SC

An anti-terrorism court had ordered the death penalty for Sheikh in the murder case of the American journalist and sentenced other suspects, Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil and Salman Saqib, to life terms.

During Tuesday's proceedings, a two-member bench was informed that Sheikh's lawyer could not attend the hearing as he was busy in another court, upon which the hearing was adjourned till July 3.