ISLAMABAD, Jan 12: The NWFP government here on Monday filed a writ petition with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the decision of the federal government to construct a 655MW Suki Kinari hydropower plant in Mansehra. The court would take up the case on Tuesday.

Making federal government and national electric power regulatory authority (Nepra) as respondents, the NWFP administration through Barrister Abdul Hafiz Pirzada has maintained in the petition that it was its right to construct the project as it falls in its territory.

The Federal government after determining the tariff rates has given the contract of the project to a private limited company while the NWFP government wants to build it with its own resources, the petition maintained.

In another case Justice Mohammad Munir Paracha

of the IHC issued notices to

the Ministry of Petroleum and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) asking them to submit their reply next week in the case of increasing gas prices.

Petitioner Advocate Kokab Iqbal has contended before the court that the recent increase in the rates of natural gas prices had badly affected the public at large.

Natural gas has gone eight per cent more expensive for the domestic consumers, 10 per cent for the CNG users and 17 per cent for the industrial users.

He prayed to the court to make Ogra revert its decision of increasing gas prices.