Overview
- The Lahore High Court, which issued a 14-page verdict Friday, dismissed petitions from the GEPCO Engineers & Officers Association seeking to restore free power units.
- The court upheld a December 5, 2023 Energy Ministry order that replaces the perk with a cash allowance for officers in BPS-17 and above across WAPDA, DISCOs, GENCOs, NTDC and PITC.
- Justice Malik Javed Iqbal Wain held the facility was a discretionary service perk, not a statutory right, and said courts do not substitute executive fiscal policy absent illegality.
- The judgment said monetisation leaves basic pay and core service rights intact, and it rejected claims of discrimination even as Grades 1–16 keep separate free-unit policies.
- Power Minister Awais Leghari welcomed the ruling as reform to ease sector losses and circular debt, noting officers previously used about 75 million free units a year costing roughly Rs4–4.5 billion.