LAHORE, Dec 7: Justice Ali Nawaz Chauhan of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought a report from Wapda if it had worked out a policy to ensure safety of life and property of people in allowing cable operators to use electricity poles to pass their wire to the subscribers.

The court directed the LHC office to send to Wapda chairman the order and a copy of the writ petition through which barrister Zafarullah Khan challenged the use of electricity poles by cable operators.

Wapda Superintending Engineer Hameedullah Khan, who appeared on the court call, submitted no complaint of loss of life and property had been received during the last five years because the cable operators were allowed to use the poles for passing insulated wire.

However, on an objection by the lawyer-petitioner that the practice had a potential of posing threat to life and property, Barrister Khan submitted the potential of threat itself required a regulatory regime for cable operators.

The petition was filed in the year 2000 against the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). When the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority replaced the PTA as a body to regulate electronic media, including cable operators, barrister Zafarullah Khan amended the petition, with the permission of the court, to hold the Pemra as the main respondent. He submitted that the Pemra itself had not formulated any provision for punishment to offenders. The only power it now enjoyed was the cancellation of cable operators’ licences.

According to the petitioner, the use of electricity poles by cable operators was in conflict with the Electricity Act, 1910, the Telegraph Act, 1885, and the Pemra Act, 2001.