LHC Rejects Loadshedding Petition, Fines Panel Rs100,000

Lahore High Court Rejects Petition on Loadshedding

The Lahore High Court has dismissed a petition concerning unannounced electricity and gas loadshedding. The court described the case as false, baseless, unsubstantiated, and vague.

Justice Khalid Ishaq issued a detailed 15-page written judgment after reviewing a petition filed by the Judicial Activism Panel. Advocate Azhar Siddique represented the petitioner in the proceedings.

The ruling noted that the petitioner had filed a constitutional petition in the public interest regarding the country’s energy crisis. However, the court observed that remedies were already available under relevant legal frameworks, including laws governing NEPRA and OGRA.

Justice Ishaq also stated that complex challenges facing the energy sector cannot be resolved solely through judicial directives but require action from relevant institutions, regulators, and policymakers.

The judgment emphasized that public interest litigation must be exercised with caution and responsibility. It noted that such petitions should not be motivated by publicity, speculation, or bad faith.

According to the ruling, a public interest petition must be supported by credible and reliable facts. The court held that speculative claims, hypothetical allegations, and petitions lacking a factual foundation are not maintainable under the guise of public interest.

The judgment also stated that judicial intervention in complex sectors such as energy is inappropriate unless there has been a serious violation of fundamental rights.

To discourage misuse of judicial resources, the court imposed a Rs100,000 fine on the petitioner. The court directed the petitioner to deposit the fine with the Lahore High Court Bar Dispensary and submit proof of payment to the Deputy Registrar Judicial within 45 days. However, the operation of the fine order was suspended for 30 days to allow the petitioner an opportunity to file an appeal against the decision.