31 percent hike in power tariff: IHC asks government to file reply within two weeks

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday asked Federal government to file reply within two weeks regarding 31 percent increase in electricity tariff. A single-member bench of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam issued the directions on the petition of NWFP government against recent hike in electricity tariff and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
The court asked the Deputy Attorney General Amjad Iqbal Qureshi to file the reply on behalf of the federal government. It also extended the stay for two weeks, issued against National Electric Power Regulatory Authority's (Nepra) decision to increase the electricity rates. Counsel for Peshawar Electrical Supply Company (PESCO) informed the court that he has filed a reply before the court on behalf of his client.
Earlier, Nepra had filed its reply in the case requesting the court to dismiss the petition of NWFP government as it has no locus standi to file the petition. The NWFP government in its petition said that the rate of poverty in the province is already higher than other parts of the country. Therefore, it would be unfair to overburden these poor people of the country.
The petition said that a large portion of population of the province is already living below the poverty line so these poor people are just unable to suffer this recent hike in the electricity prices.
The government has been facing severe criticism across the country for increasing the power tariff. It announcement gave birth to a spate of protest demonstrations across the country. These forced the government to revise its decision.Thus to give some relief the government decided to collect 60 percent amount of the total bill for the month of September. However, the government has yet to make a final decision to reduce the electricity rates.