LAHORE – Pakistan’s leading real estate developer Bahria Town continues to remain in news for all wrong reasons and now its resident filed a lawsuit over inflated electricity bills.
The petition was filed in Islamabad High Court (IHC) against overbilling and deductions for electricity generated through solar power. The petitioners called out major disparity between the electricity bills issued by LESCO and Bahria Town, with the excess amounts becoming a revenue source for the housing society.
The petitioners further maintained that residents tried seeking help from Nepra without success. It also claimed that Bahria Town retaliated against the petitioners by disconnecting their electricity meters. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, who is overseeing the petition, noted that Nepra should take measures to address the residents’ concerns.
NEPRA is expected to provide a hearing for the petitioners and take necessary legal measures before the next hearing.
The real estate giant started generating power in 2002 without a lawful license, receiving electricity from the national grid and distributing it to residents. It said Bahria Town applied for an electricity distribution license in later years.
After some technical discussions, Nepra granted Bahria Town a 20-year distribution license, disregarding Iesco’s territorial rights. This led Iesco to file multiple petitions in 2011 and 2012 to revoke Bahria Town’s license.
In 2020, Bahria Town agreed to surrender its license, which Nepra revoked on October 16, 2020.
Despite this, the real estate developer continued billing consumers and imposing unauthorized additional charges, further burdening residents financially. The petition further claimed that Bahria Town continued to charge residents. Last month, the housing society imposed unapproved and excessive electricity tariffs, exceeding Iesco-approved rates by up to Rs15.66 per unit.
Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz, son Ali Malik booked over ‘bogus cheques of Rs182 million’
