Lahore: (RightNow) The Lahore High Court has ruled that disconnecting domestic electricity connections to recover industrial dues is illegal. This decision was made on a petition filed by Ghazi Khan, brother of Prime Minister’s advisor Haroon Akhtar Khan.

The petitioner argued that his residential connection is separate, with its own meter and billing record, while the dues are related to an industrial connection and cannot be imposed on the domestic connection.

The court instructed relevant authorities to provide the petitioner with a fair hearing and issue a reasoned order in accordance with the law. The case is to be resolved within two weeks.

This decision is significant for the public as electricity is a basic necessity, and legal requirements must be met before disconnection. The court emphasized that every citizen has the right to a fair procedure under the constitution.

It is noteworthy that, according to the petitioner, proceedings regarding industrial dues are ongoing at the relevant forum and cannot be considered final or acknowledged dues.