KARACHI, July 27: A division bench of the Sindh High Court has restrained the KESC from taking any action against the city’s oldest cinema, without due process of law.

The bench, comprising Justice Ataur Rahman and Justice Afzal Soomro, passed the order on a petition filed by Gohar Iqbal, advocate, on behalf of M/s Kumar Talkies which was established before partition and is the oldest cinema in Sindh.

The cinema management, after deciding to install an airconditioning plant, had requested the KESC to provide a new connection, which was granted. Subsequently, a new meter, No AP 80587 Account No 513400, was installed and at the time of installation of the electric meter a reading of eighty-one units was already shown.

But when attempts were made to fix the plant it was found that due to old construction of cinema in 1942 and non-availability of necessary supporting structure and space it was difficult. Therefore, the petitioner decided not to install the airconditioning plant. After advertisement the same was sold off and the petitioner gave the necessary information for removing the new connection and the meter.

But in spite of its request in writing the KESC made no efforts to remove the new meter and the new connection. The petitioner was shocked when in spite of not using a single unit of electricity from the newly-installed connection the billing authorities of the KESC served notice for payment of Rs152,000 against the meter, which was not in operation/used by the petitioner.

The petitioner, apart from his old connection, also have one generator which is also used when electricity of the KESC is not available during show time. In view of the power breakdowns it was necessary for the petitioner and other owners of cinema to maintain one generator due to poor performance of the KESC.

The petitioner complained that the executive engineer and the billing controller had been visiting the cinema and were extending threat during show time and demanding payment of the so-called outstanding amount, despite his request for withdrawal of the new connection and the new meter.

The petitioner has alleged that the above-mentioned have been threatening to discontinue the connection which has been under use since the day the cinema house was establishment.

It is the case of the petitioner that the respondent Nos 2 and 3, directly and indirectly, through their staff are also forcing him to provide undue benefits for removing the new connection. It has been alleged that the KESC staff are continuously exposing/ threatening the petitioner and its staff that they will not only disconnect the old connection but also remove the generator.