SC directs to place K-Electric CEO’s name on ECL

KARACHI: Supreme Court on Tuesday directed to register a case against K-Electric over deaths in Karachi due to electrocution during the recent rainfall.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed has also ordered to put the name of K-Electric Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Monis Alvi on Exit Control List (ECL) and conduct a complete audit of the company.

The top judge expressed displeasure and reprimanded authorities over prolonged electricity outages in the city. He remarked that people are severely suffering from this issue.

The counsel for K-Electric counsel said the main reason behind loadshedding was power theft. The chief justice asked why no action has been taken against the culprits to stop power theft.

The apex court warned the power distribution company of dire consequences over its poor performance which has led to the loss of lives during the recent rains in Karachi.

KE CEO Moonis Alvi and National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Chairman Tauseef H Farooqi were also present for the hearing.

“The name of the KE CEO should be put on the ECL,” said the CJP, adding that K-Electric should be ready to face every kind of accountability by authorities.

The chief justice lamented that the power company had done nothing for Karachi despite the rising number of electrocution-related deaths and injured.

He said K-Electric has disbanded all earth wires from the city and directed that a thorough audit should be conducted on the company.

The Supreme Court asked NEPRA to take notice immediately if the power supply in any area of the city is cut off. He noted there was power outage in the Shahra-e-Faisal neighbourhood on Monday night and people were forced to come out of their homes.