SC directs PESCO to provide electricity meters to Afghan refugees

The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has on Monday ordered the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) to provide electricity meters to Afghan refugees.

According to the details, SC directed the Afghan refugees to apply to PESCO for electricity meters. The court directed PESCO to act immediately upon receiving applications for electricity meters.

Justice Qazi Ameen while conducting the hearing, remarked that every foreigner living in Pakistan is subject to foreign laws. According to the law, foreigners are entitled to all facilities.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court also ordered in 2017 to provide a separate electricity meter to every house in the refugee camp.

The court had ordered that the supply of electricity to the refugees should be ensured at the same rates as it is provided to other citizens.

The court in its written order had said that Pakistan has signed the UN conventions and these conventions have given special status to the refugees. The order read, “The Afghan refugees also have equal status with the Pakistani resident consumers.”

It is pertinent to mention here that there are about 50 Afghan refugee camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Pakistan is one of the countries providing education and health services to refugees.

Pakistan has provided a temporary legal stay and freedom of movement for the 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees.

UNHCR, this year prioritized funds for birth registration and the issuance of birth certificates to 25,000 children. The target for the issuance of individual (Proof of Registration) PoR cards is 185,000 children who have reached five years of age and are eligible to receive their individual cards from the PCM centres.