KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has restrained the federal government and National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) from taking coercive action against K-Electric regarding reduction in its multi-year tariff.

Last month, Nepra had reduced the average multi-year tariff of KE from Rs39.97/kWh, set by the regulator in May of this year, to Rs32.37/kWh. A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro issued notices to the ministry of energy, Nepra and others for Nov 19.

The KE filed a set of petitions challenging Nepra’s recent decisions for reviewing and slashing the utility’s multiyear tariff by about Rs7 per unit.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the KE was aggrieved by the decisions made by Nepra on Oct 20 on review applications filed by some individuals who were not even party in original proceedings before the authority.

The counsel argued that the regulatory authority had dismissed all review applications filed by individuals against its earlier order, but revised the tariff after taking suo motu notice of its earlier order and fixed the same at Rs32.37.

The lawyers said if the federal government notified the tariff in question, the KE would suffer colossal losses and would have to close its operation for a considerable time.

The counsel said that while taking the suo moto notice, Nepra did not put the petitioner on notice. Later, the KE filed an appeal against the impugned decision before the appellate tribunal of the regulatory authority, which at present was not functional.

After a preliminary hearing, the bench in its order stated, “Contentions raised require consideration, let notice be issued to the respondents as well as additional attorney general for 19.11.2025, meanwhile no coercive action shall be taken against petitioner in terms of impugned decision till next date of hearing.”

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025