Interim order upheld to prevent illegal increases in Sui gas bills

The Sindh High Court has upheld an interim order to prevent the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) from taking illegal actions against consumers regarding increases in gas bills and meter charges.

A two-member bench led by Chief Justice Muhammad Shafiq Siddiqui heard the petition against the rise in gas bills and the collection of meter charges.

Advocate Tariq Mansoor argued that the SSGC had altered gas bills and attempted to categorize consumers into different slabs, dividing them into protected and non-protected categories.

He contended that the SSGC had illegally fixed a meter rent at Rs460, which is to be charged for the winter months and applied to other months of the year. Charging each consumer an additional Rs460 is unjust, as over Rs11 billion have been collected from Karachi alone.

The court upheld the interim order against illegal actions by the SSGC towards consumers. The court remarked that after amendments, a constitutional bench would examine the matter further. The hearing was adjourned for three weeks.