KARACHI: Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has been instructed to promptly reinstall the gas meter that was removed from the residential flat of Senior Custom Lawyer Khalid Mehmood Rajper.
During the hearing, presided over by Justice Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan and Justice Abdul Mubeen Lakho, the lawyer highlighted that the gas meter was removed by SSGC staff without prior notice, just a day before the start of Ramadan.
The lawyer asserted that he had consistently paid his gas bills on time until September 2023, after which he stopped receiving bills. Suddenly, the gas company issued a bill exceeding Rupees 900,000, which seemed unreasonable for a residential unit or consumer.
The lawyer argued that SSGC’s actions were arbitrary and lacked proper legal procedure, thus seeking relief.
Following the preliminary hearing, the bench instructed the gas company to immediately reinstall the gas meter and connection. Furthermore, a notice has been issued for April 23. The bench also ordered that if there is any disputed amount, a detailed calculation should be provided to the petitioner. The petitioner should then be given an opportunity, in accordance with the law, to contest the amount.
This case is not an isolated incident; numerous instances have been reported where gas utilities impose exorbitant bills on residential consumers. This practice seems to have become a means to exploit innocent consumers.
