Setting aside an earlier Islamabad High Court (IHC) decision, the IHC division bench on Thursday said levying of fuel adjustment charges in electricity bills was legal.
In November 2012, a single bench of Justice Shoukat Aziz Siddiqui had declared the receipt of fuel adjustment charges illegal.
However, later power supplying companies challenged Justice Siddiqui’s decision before the division bench, which on Thursday declared the single bench’s decision null and void.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Anwar Kasi and Noorul Haq N Qureshi, ruled that the government had mandated adjusting charges in electricity bills.
In its 35-page judgement, the division bench directed the government to take stern measures to eradicating electricity theft.
Earlier, while hearing a petition jointly filed by 700 industrialists, including those associated with the CNG sector, the cement industry and the steel mills, Justice Siddiqui had ruled that NEPRA could not charge the customers in the name of “adjustment”.
However, on Thursday, the IHC division bench allowed the government to continue with the practice and disposed of the case.
Now fuel adjustment would be charged in the bills from August to November 2012.
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Flip-flop court …
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