Sindh High Court Issues Notices to K-Electric Over Power Outages in Karachi

Karachi: The Sindh High Court, during a hearing, remarked that the ongoing situation in Karachi regarding power outages is widely understood by all. The court has issued notices to K-Electric and other parties, including summoning the Regional Head of NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) personally.
The case was filed by Jamaat-e-Islami against load-shedding in Karachi, citing line losses as the basis for the power cuts. The petition was submitted on behalf of nine town chairmen from the party. Justice Faisal Kamal Alam, during the hearing, stated, “We live in this city, and we understand what is happening. Everyone knows what K-Electric is doing in the city. We are aware of the suffering of the citizens, but this case should have been brought before a constitutional bench.”
The petitioners’ lawyer, Advocate Mohammad Wada, argued that a regular bench had already heard similar cases and that the petitioners were seeking a declaration rather than a directive. He emphasized that K-Electric was violating its own load-shedding policy by imposing 18-hour power outages, far beyond the stated norms.
The lawyer also informed the court that NEPRA had yet to take action on the complaints filed by the petitioners regarding illegal power cuts. He urged the court to direct NEPRA to take action against K-Electric for these unlawful outages. The lawyer reminded the court that the Supreme Court had already ruled that electricity is a basic right of the public under the Constitution, yet K-Electric has shown no willingness to comply with any legal or constitutional obligations.
According to the petitioners’ lawyer, the federal government is responsible for ensuring the supply and production of electricity to citizens under the Constitution. NEPRA has already declared K-Electric’s load-shedding as unlawful. Furthermore, the lawyer pointed out that regular consumers who pay their bills on time were also being adversely affected by K-Electric’s policy of load-shedding based on line losses.
Last year, on April 2, NEPRA had declared K-Electric’s actions illegal and stated that the company is required to provide a continuous, uninterrupted electricity supply to consumers. The lawyer also highlighted the current extreme heatwave in Karachi, stressing that it is critical that power cuts be prevented at this time.
Following the hearing, the court issued notices to K-Electric and other concerned parties, scheduling a hearing for July 25, and summoned the Regional Head of NEPRA to appear in person.