Syed Ali Shah:
QUETTA:
The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Wednesday declared ‘previous’ charges included in gas bills by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) as null and void.
A division bench of the BHC comprising Mr. Justice Kamran Malakhail and Mr. Justice Srdar Ahmed Haleemi passed this order on a constitutional petition. Senior lawyer, Syed Nazeer Agha Advocate had filed the petition challenging the inclusion of previous charges in the SSGC bills in Balochistan.
Consumers asked not to deposit previous charges in bills
The court stopped the company from collecting previous charges in gas bills from consumers in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan. “No justification for the company to collect the previous charges from consumers”, Mr. Justice Kamran Malakhail said.
The bench barred the company from collecting charges from consumers in Balochistan. The court also issued notices to all concerned officials of the SSGC and the Ministry of Petroleum and natural resources.
SSGC has become an East India Company: Judge
“SSGC has become another East India Company”, Syed Nazeer Agha Advocate told Daily Quetta Voice while quoting the remarks of Mr. Justice Kamran Malakhail.
“I will continue to challenge such notifications on the part of the SSGC”, Syed Nazeer Agha Advocate stated. He said the company has no right to punish the poor consumers to meet its deficit caused by mega thieves.
This order on behalf of the BHC has come a few days after the consumers in Balochistan received heavy gas bills.
Despite repeated attempts, this scribe was not able to speak to the SSGC. A senior officer of the company based in Quetta said, “Our Public Relations Officer (PRO) is based in Karachi, he can comment on this”.
Mr. Agha also asked the consumers not to deposit their March and April bills as per the directives of the court.
