After dismissing the Registrar’s Office’s first objections, the Supreme Court (SC) agreed to hear Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) suit against fuel price adjustment (FPA) surcharges in power bills.
Justice Jamal Mandokhail mentioned during the hearing that the national treasury receives a portion of the taxes earned from electricity bills. Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, meanwhile, questioned if JI had ever objected to NEPRA’s electricity tariff hearings.
While acknowledging that Jamaat-e-Islami has vigorously fought against power theft, Justice Rizvi also emphasized that electricity theft is a significant contributor to line losses.
Consumer burden
The petitioner’s attorney contended that a number of taxes and surcharges, including the FPA, are applied to electricity bills, greatly raising the cost burden on customers.
The SC has decided to combine the case with the ongoing Independent Power Producers (IPPs) case for a thorough investigation because the petition particularly contests the fuel price adjustment and additional fees.
After the preliminary arguments, the Supreme Court granted JI’s petition and will hold hearings on the case, which may have a big impact on Pakistani consumers’ rights and electricity rates.
