Energy prices: LHC grants govt a week to file reply

Government has withdrawn a Rs140 billion subsidy on electric power under an agreement with the IMF, says petitioner.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday gave the federal government one week to submit its reply on a petition challenging the new petroleum prices and revised electricity tariffs.

Advocate Mateenul Haq Chaudhry had filed the petition before the LHC challenging the notification of new power and petroleum products.

The petitioner had said the higher prices would be an additional burden on the common man. He said the high prices would also raise the cost of industrial products and the factories would be forced to lay off workers. He said the price hike would this lead to further unemployment.

He said the government had withdrawn a Rs140 billion subsidy on electric power under an agreement with the IMF.

He said prices of petroleum products were decreasing in the international market. He said the Indian government had reduced petroleum prices on the same day the Pakistani government had announced the raise.

He requested the court to declare the hike illegal. He said the notification issued by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) should be suspended. A law officer representing the government sought time to file a reply.

The court adjourned the hearing till next week.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2013.