ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights did not take lightly on Monday the absence of K-Electric’s chief executive officer and asked the Sindh inspector general of police (IGP) to ensure his attendance at the next committee meeting on Tuesday (today).

A meeting of the committee, chaired by PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, was scheduled to discuss the tragic incident of Aug 24, which saw eight-year-old Muhammad Umar getting critically injured after a high-tension wire fell on his left arm. The boy used his other hand to remove the wire, but the high voltage quickly gripped his body and caused severe burns. Both his arms had to be amputated to save his life. The committee had directed the KE CEO to attend the meeting in person.

KE’s chief distribution Amir Zia told the committee that the CEO could not attend the meeting as he had to appear in a hearing at the Sindh High Court. Mr Zia said the CEO was aware of the tragedy and was ready to brief the committee on it.

However, Senator Khokhar said the KE had stated that its CEO could not attend the meeting because of a board meeting. “I have been told that the CEO has done something similar in the past to avoid attending a meeting. I am issuing a warrant with a direction to the Sindh IGP to ensure the attendance of the CEO in the committee meeting on Tuesday [today],” he said.

Balochistan National Party-Mengal Senator Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini, while sharing his own experience, said the same thing had happened in the Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges as the CEO avoided coming to the session, and the committee had to use its constitutional powers to ensure his presence.

Muhammad Arif, the father of the child, told the meeting that he had tried to contact several officers for seeking justice, but representatives of the KE never bothered to respond to him. He, however, said the KE had sent him a letter offering financial assistance on humanitarian grounds.

Mr Zia claimed that the KE had contacted Mr Arif and also offered compensation. “I had a meeting with Mr Arif at the office of Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Shaikh. We are ready to provide financial assistance in millions of rupees, medical care, education and we are even ready to give the child employment as soon as he is 25 years old,” he said.

“Karachi is a city with a population of 25 million with only 30 per cent urbanisation. There is no governance in 70pc of the area…People commit electricity theft through kunda. Mr Arif’s house itself is powered with illegal electricity,” claimed Mr Zia.

A KE spokesperson, while speaking to Dawn, said the CEO had decided to attend the committee meeting on Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2018