- Justice Malik Javid Iqbal Wains announces verdict.
- Says govt adopted measures pursuant to “lawful policy decision”.
- Power Minister Awais Leghari welcomes LHC verdict.
The Lahore High Court has dismissed a petition against the withdrawal of free electricity units for officers of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and other power distribution companies, terming the government’s move as “reasoned and rational”, it emerged on Friday.
LHC’s Justice Malik Javid Iqbal Wains rejected the petition challenging a notification issued by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) on December 5, 2023.
In a 14-page verdict, the court upheld the government’s decision, saying that the “measure has been adopted pursuant to a lawful policy decision and does not deprive the petitioners from any statutory entitlement.”
The monetisation of free electricity units neither reduces basic pay nor alters any vested service rights, the court stated, adding that it merely modifies the manner in which a discretionary facility is extended by the department.
“Since the benefit of free electricity units was not founded upon any statutory rule and remained subject to administrative control, its reconfiguration through a policy decision does not give rise to any enforceable constitutional claim,” read the verdict.
“The measure appears reasoned and rational, aimed at ensuring financial sustainability while maintaining employee remuneration within lawful parameters,” observed the court.
It is pertinent to mention here that power sector officers from BPS-18 to 22 were given a total of 75 million units of electricity collectively in the past, costing up to Rs4-4.5 billion annually.
Taking to his X handle, Power Minister Awais Leghari welcomed the LHC verdict, stressing that abolishing the free electricity units was a “very old and long-standing demand of the people”.
“Alhamdulillah, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the free units of the power sector employees have been abolished,” he added.
The power sector “will take every step for the collective betterment of the country and the nation”, vowed the minister.
