IHC vacates stay against suspending gas supply to industrial units

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has vacated its stay order against suspending gas to manufacturers and industries.

An IHC single comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah, issued the seven-page detailed verdict on a petition of 61 textile companies.

Withdrawing its stay order, the court in its order emphasised that the executive enjoys constitutional cover for framing economic policies. While, the courts on the other hand can understand and interpret legal and constitutional issues, they cannot be the experts of economic matters. The courts must, therefore, exercise their powers on economic issues with due prudence as its activism can irreparably hurt the country’s economy. The court, however, declared that the government can enforce its decision of suspending gas supply to captive power plants. The federal cabinet in its meeting on Jan 26 had directed suspending gas supply to captive power plants as gas supply to domestic consumers was being seriously affected.

The industries challenged the cabinet decision in the IHC, arguing that the cabinet decision violates their fundamental rights. Defending the government’s position, the counsel for the secretary petroleum took the plea that the industries have presented their case wrongfully. He told the court that all the stakeholders were consulted during the process to frame the relevant policy. The companies, which did not have alternate sources of power were exempted from this policy decision, he told the court.