Chief Justice Lahore High Court on Thursday directed Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) to submit electricity loadshedding schedule for VVIPs and premises including President, Prime Minister, Governor, Chief Minister and Ministers by February 10.
Earlier, a law officer requested the court to order the power companies directly to submit their details. The court on previous hearing had issued the same direction to Wapda and electricity distribution companies. At this the Chief Justice directed the Pepco to submit the loadshedding schedule for VVIPs and also sought personal appearance of the company's officer concerned to explain the technicalities on next date of hearing.
The chief justice was hearing a petition seeking a restraining order for Wapda and electricity distribution companies not to hold power load shedding management sharing plan. A bar member Muhammad Azhar Siddique submitted that the government had failed to supply uninterrupted electric supply to hospitals, whether federal, provincial or private especially in the ongoing season when rivers were full of water and there was no shortfall technically in production of the electricity.
He alleged that the government was not paying payments/outstanding to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) as a result they were not producing electricity. He pointed out that the government was 'illegally' collecting fuel adjustment charges, equalisation surcharge and others but remained failed to provide uninterrupted power supply to citizens.