The distribution of power
The chief justice commented he had been affected by load shedding himself.
Salim stated that Lesco owned the grid station supplying electricity to that housing society, but had no control over it. PHOTO: AFP
The city’s residents have been given a glimmer of hope that the number of load-shedding hours will be decreased as the Lahore High Court continues grilling officials over the unequal distribution of power not just within the country, but within the provincial capital as well.
Though the petition being heard by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial is three years old, it appears to be close to a decision. A series of startling admissions were heard over the course of two hearings in court this last week.
First came confirmation from Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Salim that the petitioner, Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique, was correct in claiming that while most of Lahore was without electricity for at least half the day, there was no load-shedding in a certain private housing society.
Salim stated that Lesco owned the grid station supplying electricity to that housing society, but had no control over it. On the orders of “high-ups” a 132KV transmission line went to the society directly from the national grid. “Lesco cannot shut it down,” he said. The chief justice ordered the CEO to produce a copy of the order under which the housing society was exempt from load-shedding.
The court was also informed that while Lesco was responsible for 21 per cent of electricity bill recovery, it was not being supplied its due share of power. The chief justice observed that Lesco appeared to be working as a federal government subsidiary rather than an independent distribution company, as it had never complained about the disproportionate supply of electricity to the region.
The chief justice’s personal frustration was evident when, addressing the CEO, he commented that he too had been affected by load-shedding, like any citizen, and that the matter must be addressed urgently.
The court will take up the matter again on May 13, when the Lesco chief and officials of the Ministry for Natural Resources are to appear before the court.
Election advertisement
A three-member LHC bench last week stopped the airing of a television advertisement purporting to show former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif in a decidedly injudicious conversation with former LHC judge Malik Qayyum, though only briefly.
A day after instructing the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to stop the airing of the advertisement, the court disposed of the matter as withdrawn. The petitioner withdrew the complaint as the Election Commission of Pakistan had taken note of the matter.
But that was only after the court had taken a battering at the hands of Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and Sardar Latif Khosa over its stay order. Ahsan said the stay order was full of lacunae and errors.
As his criticism of the bench carried on, Ahsan was asked to restrict himself to legal arguments and avoid taunting the court.
Musharraf
Amidst a slew of election matters before the LHC this week, one will be a petition from former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf challenging his lifetime ban from taking part in politics. The court had hoped to hear the complete arguments last week, but adjourned till Monday on the request of the Musharraf’s counsel.
A full bench also disqualified Rasheed Akbar Niwani, Hameed Akbar Niwani and Saeed Akbar Niwani – who had filed nominations for NA-74, PP-48 and PP-49 in Bhakkar, respectively –for defaulting on Wasa bills.
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Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2013.