CommuNICAtIoN mINIStry ASked to CleAr rS8.7B owed to dISCoS

profIt report ahmad ahmadani tHEPower Division has asked the Ministry of Communication to release remaining liabilities of power distribution companies (discos) amounting to Rs 8.7 billion.

This would enable discos to recover their bills from customers deposited in the General Post Offices (GPOs) from July 2022.

In an Office Memorandum dated 14th February 2023, the power division has asked the Secretary Ministry of

Federation tells SC

Communication and Director General (DG), Pakistan Post to clear liabilities of discos pending from July 2022.

As per details, the GPOs had received the electricity bills from the power consumers and withheld the collected amount instead of paying to the discos.

These funds would not only help the power sector to meet its financial obligations, and payments to the generators but also help to avoid unscheduled loadshedding in the coming summer, said the power division’s memorandum.

The memorandum further exclaimed that, “urgent action is highly de-

Imran lacks locus standi to challenge NAB law amends

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt sirable”.

The federation’s lawyer on Tuesday submitted before the Supreme Court of Pakistan that Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has no locus standi to file petition against the amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Tuesday heard the petition filed by former prime minister Imran Khan against the amendments to the NAB Ordinance, 1999.

The Attorney General for Pakistan informed that on Monday, he issued a clarification on Chief Justice remarks appeared on social media, adding that the social media misreported his statement. Justice Bandial appreciating the gesture said; “Yes we read it in the newspapers.” About the case, the federation’s counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan adopted the stance that on July 28, 22 some of the PTI MNAs filed a writ petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) wherein they challenged the non-acceptance of their resignations, and told the Court that ex-Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had validly accepted the resignation.

The IHC, however, dismissed their petition on 6-9-2022.

On the other hand, when the NA Speaker (Raja Pervaiz Ashraf) accepted their resignations they approached Lahore High Court (LHC) on 8th February, 2023 and took completely different view. They asked the LHC to restrain the Election Commission of Pakistan from denotifying them.

He informed that on 11-04-22 when no-confidence vote succeeded against Imran Khan at that time amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 were pending before the Standing Committee of the Parliament.

After the no-trust vote though the PTI MNAs chose to resign but none of its Senators tendered resignation, adding none of the MPAs resigned from the provincial assemblies. It shows the mala fide of the petitioner, adding there is inconsistency in their legal battle.

According to the document, GPOs of the Communication Ministry have to clear liabilities of four discos and KElectric.

Out of total Rs 8.7 billion with GPOs include Rs 2.4 billion amount of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), Rs 8 billion of Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), Rs 750 million of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Rs 783 million of Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) and Rs 3.9 billion amount of K-Electric.

It is pertinent to mention that Fi- nance Division in a letter from September last year, carrying subject “Release of Retained Electricity Bills of discos Collected by the GPOs” had allowed Pakistan Post Office Department (PPOD) to draw released Rs 20 billion from State Bank of Pakistan through letter of credit arrangement to clear the outstanding liabilities of discos including K-Electric.

The PPOD has so far cleared the liabilities of over Rs 17 billion owed to the other discos. However an amount of Rs 750 million of LESCO is still pending with the PPOD which the power division has asked to release on urgent basis.