IHC sustains stay order against charging of additional electricity bills till case decision
Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to power distribution companies in petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against overcharging electricity bills to consumers by these companies.
The court has also appointed barrister Anwar Kamal and Babar Sattar as amicus curie besides giving them two weeks time for filing their report.
IHC Tuesday took up for hearing a miscellaneous petition filed by PTI MNA Asad Omar, Dr Shireen Mazari and Dr Arif Alvi against charging of additional electricity bills by power distribution companies to the consumers.
Farrukh Dall appeared in the court on behalf of PTI. The court was told that Ministry of Water and Power has charged billion of rupees to consumers on account of additional billing of electricity which has been challenged in the high court.
Report from Ministry of Water and Power on additional billing has also been filed in the court. The report said that cost of electricity has been increased by 43 percent so far while power tariff has been increased by 39 percent.
It was further told that the court had issued notices to power distribution companies and Ministry of Water and Power during previous hearing and sought detailed report from them on charging additional bills to the consumers.
The court while giving two weeks time to amicus curie for filing their report adjourned the hearing of the case indefinitely. The court also maintained the stay order against charging of additional bills till the decision of the case.