Electricity through gas

Notices issued to industry on SNGPL plea

By Our Correspondent

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to All Pakistan Exporters Association and 46 industrial/commercial organisations on an appeal by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) challenging their act of producing electricity through gas being supplied to them for personal use only.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Yahya Afridi took up the appeal of the SNGPL at the Lahore registry.

Representing the appeal, Advocate Anwaar Hussain argued that the industrial units and other entities could not use natural gas for power generation purposes. He said producing electricity by the industries was a violation of the contract they signed with the SNGPL and the Gas Allocation Policy 2005. The counsel stated that the respondents could not use the gas for a purpose other than mentioned in the connection contract.

He said illegal power generation would badly affect the supply to millions of domestic consumers. He pointed out that the exporters association and its members had wrongly been interpreting a judgment of the Lahore High Court and indulging in illegal act of generating electricity through natural gas. He said the respondents should purchase electricity from the distribution companies if they were to meet their requirement.

He asked the bench to set aside stay order issued by the high court in favour of the respondents and allow the SNGPL to take legal action against them.