KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the provincial energy secretary to call a meeting of all the concerned parties and come up with a clear proposal to make payment of the huge outstanding power dues of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) within a week.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi observed that the energy department had been paying electricity bills of the bar associations of the province apart from KBA.

The KBA, through Haider Imam Rizvi and other lawyers, had petitioned the SHC in 2019 contending that the K-Electric had unlawfully disconnected the electric supply of one of the largest district bars of the country in May 2019 on the pretext of non-payment of bills.

At the outset of the hearing, Energy Secretary Abu Bakar Ahmad appeared in court and filed a statement in the light of the last order.

It was submitted in the statement that the energy department was trying to provide separate power meters for all the bar associations of the city, and sought 15-day time to resolve the matter along with the SHC administration and KE.

The bench noted that in view of the reports submitted by the registrar SHC and energy department, all the electricity bills of bar councils and associations of Sindh was being paid by the department, except KBA, and no reason was given as to why it was being treated differently.

It further said that when the bench confronted to explain such discrimination, it was submitted that electricity was being provided to the KBA through separate meters installed on its name.

The bench observed that such excuse was not acceptable for the reason that power bills of the bar associations, including the Sindh Bar Council, located within district courts and high court of the province were being paid by the energy department for simple reason that such bar associations were situated within the precinct of the district judiciary and high court of Sindh and have no independent proprietary right or status of a separate consumer.

Installation of meters in the name of KBA would have no bearing or impediment towards payment of electricity consumed by the KBA along with electricity bills of the district courts Karachi, it added.

The bench in its order also noted that no discriminatory treatment can be given to the KBA while erecting technical issues, which must be resolved immediately by the energy department and KE, and long outstanding dues of KBA be paid along with electricity charges of the district courts Karachi.

The secretary and additional advocate general requested for short time to work out modality to overcome technical issues with the KE and arrange more funds for purpose of such payment.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2023