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KARACHI, Aug 3: The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices in a petition assailing frequent power breakdowns in Karachi and fixed it for hearing on Aug 15 when identical matters are set to be taken up.
Advocate M. Akhtar Jamal submitted in his petition that the new owners and management have completely failed to run the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation. If not earning huge profits, the utility was not running in loss when it was purchased by the new owners.
Power meters were installed inside the consumers’ premises and power theft through illegal connection, particularly ‘kunda’, and other means was easy. The meters have now been installed outside the consumers’ premises making the theft difficult.
Despite the likely decrease in the incidence of power theft, the petitioner-lawyer said, the KESC had failed to prevent shutdowns and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply. There have been recurring breakdowns of long durations without prior notice or information. The interruptions have not only made consumers’ life miserable but also caused casualties, he said, citing three deaths in Kausar Town, Malir, where three members of a family were electrocuted when power supply was resumed abruptly.
The petitioner requested the court to at lest direct the public utility to announce timings of load-shedding so that consumers could make necessary adjustments. If the KESC was unable to interrupt supply in accordance with a pre-announced schedule, the corporation should be reverted to public sector to make its management accountable and responsive.
A division bench comprising Justices Mushir Alam and Zia Pervez on Friday issued notices to the chief secretary and education and home secretaries of Sindh for a date in office in a petition alleging that the ruling coalition partners were appointing their workers and sympathisers to government jobs.
The petitioner, former city nazim Niamutallah Khan, submitted through his counsel, Abdul Waheed, that eligible candidates had long suffered due to the recruitment ban, though favourites were given jobs even during the ban period. After the lifting of the ban, however, the PML-Q and the MQM had allocated 50 per cent of the vacancies each to their workers and sympathisers. He requested the court to direct the government to furnish it a list of the candidates selected for various posts during the last five years along with the criterion and procedure adopted for selection.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Mohammad Afzal Soomro suspended the auction of the Regency (formerly Mideast) Hotel on Dawoodpota Road in the execution of a decree amounting to Rs58 million awarded by a single judge in favour of the creditor National Bank.
Advocates Farooq H. Naek and Saalim Salim Ansari contended on behalf of M/s A.I. Brothers (Pvt) Limited, operators of the hotel, that the debtor concern was entitled to the State Bank’s CIRC settlement scheme. However, the SHC banking judge held that the debtor concern was not eligible to benefit from the scheme as it had not made the requisite 10 per cent down payment of the amount owed by it. The lawyers argued that down payment was required to be made at the time of settlement but their client was denied an agreement under the scheme.
Admitting the appeal, the bench issued a notice to the respondent bank for Aug 16 and suspended the execution proceedings subject to the deposit of 10 per cent of the decretal amount by the debtor concerned.
