The Sindh High Court’s Sukkur bench issued a significant ruling on Friday, prohibiting authorities from conducting unannounced power interruptions in the city of Sukkur. The court also mandated an immediate cessation of the removal of transformers and electricity lines in affected neighborhoods, aiming to safeguard residents from sudden disruptions.
In a detailed judgment, the court further prohibited power utility companies from imposing charges on consumers for transformer repairs. It declared the practice of disconnecting electricity supply to entire localities due to non-payment by a few defaulters as unlawful and unjustifiable. This ruling addresses long-standing grievances of residents who have faced widespread outages despite many consumers maintaining their payments.
During the hearing, it was highlighted that extended load-shedding was severely impacting water supply systems in various parts of Sukkur, exacerbating the hardships faced by the community. Justice Amjad Hussain, presiding over the case, criticized the rationale behind cutting off electricity to whole areas for the defaults of a limited number of users. He also questioned the legality of recovering repair costs from consumers who consistently pay their bills on time.
In response to these concerns, the court directed the chief of the Sukkur Electric Power Company to take immediate notice and ensure strict compliance with the court’s orders. This development marks a crucial step towards protecting consumer rights and improving the reliability of electricity and water services in Sukkur.
