Today the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Pakistan's National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) not to raise its tariff, once again directly challenging the government. A few weeks ago the Supreme Court declared the "carbon tax" unconstitutional. Under pressure Islamabad resigned its position. Dawn, Pakistan's most read English daily, has a front page story on the issue below:
Dawn, July 24, 2009
Nasir Iqbal
Nasir Iqbal
"SC tells Nepra to inform it before raising tariff"
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court vacated on Thursday its order restraining the authorities from raising electricity tariff but cautioned the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) against coming up with any coercive plan to increase the tariff.The court asked Nepra to inform it in advance, before recommending a tariff increase.A three-judge bench headed by Chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja is hearing a suo motu case against the proposed increase in tariff despite erratic power supply and decline in oil prices in the international market.The bench issued notices to the ministries of finance and water and power and asked them to inform the court about the proposed withdrawal of subsidy on electricity or increase in the tariff....complete story
