The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices on Wednesday to federal and provincial governments, the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) managing director (MD), National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and City District Government Karachi (CDGK), seeking their explanations over the privatisation of KESC and unannounced load shedding in Karachi.
Mentioning that the KESC was privatised for only Rs 16 billion and its new owner’s took Rs 100 billion loans from finance institutions by mortgaging the KESC assets, the plaintiff had accused the government for causing huge financial losses to the national exchequer by privatising the KESC, as it was handed over to the private sector at a very low price. The petitioner also asserted that there was no real reason behind unannounced load shedding and disruption of electricity supply, as the KESC has adequate resources of producing electrical energy.
The SHC division bench, comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, summoned the respondents on the constitutional petition filed by United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan general secretary Rana Faizul Hassan, pleading to make the report regarding KESC’s privatisation public and stop unannounced power load shedding.
In his preliminary arguments, the petitioner submitted that the government authorities concerned must be held accountable as they had been found involved in mismanagement over privatising the KESC and prolonged load shedding in the metropolis.
After hearing his arguments, the court directed the respondents to submit their comments in the next hearing, which will be fixed later by the court’s office.
The appellant had submitted that the citizens have been suffering from unannounced power load shedding and poor performance of the company, and have been facing more than 12 hours of load shedding daily but there was no body to reprimand the KESC.
He stated that on June 3, KESC’s labour union Mazdoor Ittihad gave a strike call against KESC higher management that was also supported by various political and non-political parties. As many as six people were killed during the strike; twelve vehicles were torched while many other public properties were damaged in different areas. “Neither any proper action was taken against the culprits nor the victims given any compensation,” he stated.
Citing federal privatisation ministry, KESC, NEPRA, OGRA, Sindh chief secretary and Karachi administrator as respondents, the petitioner pleaded that the court directs the respondents to produce the Privatisation Commission’s report on KESC’s privatisation and the sale agreement to ascertain why the company was sold on such cheap rates.
He also prayed that the power utility be directed to end load shedding and maximise its efforts for resolving the issue in the city while the families of the victims, who lost their lives during the strike given by the KESC’s union, be compensated accordingly.