Load-Shedding Plea: ‘Why was Lesco chief transferred?’

LAHORE: Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has directed the federal government to explain why Muhammad Saleem was transferred from the post of Lahore Electric Supply Company chairman. The court was hearing a petition against load-shedding at sehr and iftar. Petitioner’s counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique alleged that Saleem had been removed as punishment after he acted against electricity thieves and saved 17MW. The petitioner said the transfer of officers who acted against theft discourage officers from doing their jobs honestly. The chief justice remarked that the court would intervene wherever it found a lack of transparency. The court directed the government to explain its criteria for the appointment and removal of officers. The judge also sought a report from the government about steps taken to stop theft of electricity by distribution companies and adjourned for July 26. The petitioner had claimed that the government, despite promising an uninterrupted power supply during the start and end of the fast during Ramazan, was conducting load-shedding.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2013.