Turning up the heat: Petitioner seeks compensation for heatwave victims

Argues in favour of re-nationalisation of K-Electric

ISLAMABAD: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking payment of compensation to the relatives of Karachi’s heatwave victims whose condition worsened due to long and frequent power cuts during the peak of the health crisis.

The petition also seeks re-nationalisation of K-Electric, the city’s power utility company, and disqualification of all National Assembly members who offered funeral prayers in absentia while wearing shoes.

Petitioner Akhtar Naqvi has pleaded that the federal government be directed to pay compensation of Rs2.5 million to family members of the victims.

The petitioner has also sought directives for the re-nationalisation of K-Electric for its utter failure to overcome Karachi’s recurring issue of load-shedding. The petitioner also said that The MPs who offered funeral prayers in absentia while wearing shoes should also be disqualified. Their disregard for religious obligations should not be tolerated, it said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Water and Power Minister Khawaja Asif, State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali have been named respondents in the petition. Others respondents named include the secretaries for water and power and privatisation ministries, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh’s chief secretary and K–Electric’s CEO. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2015.