Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court has
accepted a petition seeking to prevent the import of
electricity from India at a time when the country is grappling
with a crippling energy shortage.
The apex court yesterday admitted the petition filed by
the Watan Party despite objections from the court registrar's
office.
The petition asked the court to bar authorities from
accepting India's reported offer to supply 5,000 MW of
electricity to meet urgent energy needs.
A two-judge bench of the apex court heard the
petitioner's lawyer Zafarullah Khan, who asked the court to
stop the government from importing electricity from India.
The petition said any such deal would be "shameful" for
Pakistan, alleging that India produces electricity from
"stolen water from illegal dams."
Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court has
accepted a petition seeking to prevent the import of
electricity from India at a time when the country is grappling
with a crippling energy shortage.
The apex court yesterday admitted the petition filed by
the Watan Party despite objections from the court registrar's
office.
The petition asked the court to bar authorities from
accepting India's reported offer to supply 5,000 MW of
electricity to meet urgent energy needs.
A two-judge bench of the apex court heard the
petitioner's lawyer Zafarullah Khan, who asked the court to
stop the government from importing electricity from India.
The petition said any such deal would be "shameful" for
Pakistan, alleging that India produces electricity from
"stolen water from illegal dams."
Pakistani cities are struggling with power cuts of six to
eight hours every day while the outages in rural areas last up
to 18 hours.
Experts have said the energy shortfall is expected to
increase with the onset of summer.
Temperatures have already soared in most parts of the
country.
PTI
First Published: Friday, April 06, 2012, 16:29