On Thursday, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) announced a tariff increase of Rs 4.12 per unit for consumers. This adjustment in the power tariff, attributed to fuel adjustment charges for November 2023, was outlined in an official notification.
It was clarified that additional charges would be applicable in January 2024, with the exception of Lifeline and K-Electric (KE) consumers. The tariff hike, initiated at the caretaker government’s request, aimed to maintain a uniform electricity tariff nationwide.
In accordance with the notification, NEPRA approved a Rs 1.72 per unit increase for K-Electric consumers, covering third-quarterly adjustment charges for the previous financial year. The breakdown included a rise of Rs 1.25 per unit for the adjustment period from January to March 2023, and an additional Rs 0.47 per unit for the adjustment period from October to December 2022.
NEPRA officially communicated the electric tariff hike to the federal government. Notably, consumers in Karachi were informed of the obligation to pay supplementary charges in their bills from January to March 2024.
IHC Reinstates 10-Year Disqualification For Convicts Under NAB Law
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) reinstated the 10-year disqualification period for individuals convicted under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, overturning a previous decision that reduced the disqualification to five years. The court’s division bench, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, suspended the verdict issued by its single bench, which had shortened the disqualification period.
The decision was made during the hearing of a plea filed by NAB challenging the reduction of the 10-year disqualification to five years for one of its convicts, Faiq Ali Jamali, a politician associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The Senior Special Prosecutor for NAB, Muhammad Rafi, informed the IHC about the Supreme Court upholding Jamali’s sentence.
In response to NAB’s plea, the IHC reinstated the 10-year disqualification for Jamali, preventing him from contesting elections. The prosecutor emphasized that, according to NAB law, the disqualification period should be ten years.
