LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday restrained the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) from disconnecting residential electricity connection of a brother of Haroon Akhtar, an adviser to prime minister, to recover disputed industrial dues.

Justice Jawad Hassan passed the order on a writ petition filed by Ghazi Akhtar Khan.

Advocate Malik Bashir Ahmad Khalid argued that the petitioner’s residential connection was independently metered, separately billed and fully paid, while the disputed liability related solely to the industrial connection of M/s Superior Textile Mills Limited.

The counsel contended that the Lesco had no lawful authority under Section 24(1) of the Electricity Act, 1910, to use a domestic connection as leverage to recover liability owed by a different consumer at different premises.

He said the mandatory statutory notice and due process required before any disconnection had not been observed.

He further submitted that the Lesco officials had refused to receive the petitioner’s representation, forcing him to dispatch it via courier.

He described the respondent’s conduct as arbitrary and high-handed. The counsel stated that the petitioner would be satisfied if the matter were remitted to the authority concerned for expeditious decision. A government’s law officer raised no objection to the request by the petitioner’s counsel.

Justice Hassan remitted the petition to Lesco with a direction to treat it as a representation and pass a speaking-order decision within two weeks after hearing all concerned parties.

In the interim, the judge restrained Lesco from taking any coercive measures against the petitioner’s residential connection until the representation was decided.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2026