KARACHI: A court has directed K-Electric (KE) to pay over Rs50.6 million in compensation to the legal heirs of a man and his father, who had both died from electrocution in 2006 due to negligence of the power supply company.
The legal heirs of both the deceased persons had filed a civil suit before the Sindh High Court; however, after the amendment in the Sindh civil courts law in 2025, the case was transferred to Senior Civil Judge (South) Sheikh Abbas Mehdi at the stage of final arguments.
According to the plaintiffs, on August 17, 2006, Khurram Shahab, 41, and his septuagenarian father, Muhammad Muslim, were returning from their workplace to their residence in Phase VI, DHA. At around 7:30pm, their car stalled at a street corner in rainwater that had accumulated due to the heavy downpour that day. Subsequently, both father and son stepped out of the car and, due to a snapped wire, were electrocuted and died on the spot due to the negligence of KE.
In the lawsuit, the legal heirs had sought compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act, 1885, from the KE.
Elderly man, 41-year-old son lost their lives 20 years ago after stepping into accumulated rainwater
After hearing the counsel for the plaintiff and the defendant sides, the court ordered the KE to pay Rs50,621,000 in compensation within 30 days with a 10 per cent markup on the decretal amount from the date of the decree till realisation. The court also directed KE to tender “unconditional apology to the bereaved family, which shall be disseminated through both leading electronic and print media.”
The court also observed that “defendant, now K-Electric is neither retaining proper record, nor upgrading/replacing old, rusted, sagged and wires detrimental to public, moreover, installation of guard wire mechanism also raised serious questions. Hence NEPRA and Ministry of Energy (Power Division) is required to ensure that life of public/consumers who are paying inflated electricity bills are secure and protected.”
“They are also required to take immediate steps to ensure that this city of lights have working mechanism of guard wire and that defendant K-Electric is adopting all safety protocols to ensure safety and periodical checkups and maintenance accordingly as required under law,” it added.
“I am compelled to observe that the tragic loss of two primary breadwinners due to the negligence of K-Electric has left behind two widows and two minors. Instead of offering support to the bereaved family during this critical period, the defendant has attempted to divert attention by asserting that the electrocution was caused by current emanating from the wall of a private residence. It is imperative to note that the defendant has miserably failed to substantiate this claim adequately, rather admitted that no such wall found,” the judge wrote in the verdict.
“Furthermore, seriousness of defendant in present matter is that neither authorised person of defendant nor its witness was aware with the claim and plaint of plaintiff nor even they were familiar with the contents of their own written statement. They only gained time and record shows that suit is fixed for final arguments since 23-12-2010, however, record shows that same is most of time adjourn on request of defendant. The actions of the defendant company have unjustly deprived the plaintiffs of their lawful right to seek compensation, which is profoundly disheartening,” he added.
Expressing disappointment, the court noted: “Monetary compensation cannot restore the life of the deceased, such compensation, if disbursed in a timely manner, could significantly contribute to the welfare and future prospects of the legal heirs, particularly in terms of the minors’ education and overall well-being. The conduct exhibited by the defendant company is not only disappointing but also disrespectful towards the deceased and their surviving family members.”
Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2026
