September 25, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 24, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: Islamabad High Court (IHC) here on Wednesday expressed its anger over the non-compliance of court orders by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), who were asked to submit their reply on the increase in power tariff.

IHC Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Aslam on the last date of hearing had asked Nepra and Pesco to submit a reply on the writ petition filed by the NWFP government against an increase of 31 per cent in the power tariff, while the court stayed the increase till final disposal of the case.

The court put off the hearing in the case till October 13 after the Nepra and Pesco did not submit their reply and extended the stay barring the increase in the tariffs till the next date of hearing.

The NWFP government through it lawyer Barrister Abdul Hafeez Pirzada has challenged the recent rate hike, pleading that the ratio of the poverty in the province was already higher than that of other parts of the country, so the poor people are unable to bear this increase.

In another case, IHC Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Aslam and Justice Raja Saeed Akram, in an intra-court appeal, adjourned the hearing in the case of a dispute over the award of a contract to build Munda Dam to the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).

During the last hearing, the IHC had suspended the decision of another IHC bench that dismissed the petition. The court had also issued notices to the federation, NWFP government, Wapda and Power Infrastructure Board.

Munda Hydro Power Project (MHPP) Company in the petition before the IHC has stated that the firm had been tasked with building the dam and it had already prepared its feasibility. The MHPP Company has challenged the government’s decision to give away this contract to Wapda.