IHC orders PESCO to pay treatment, prosthetic costs for girl who lost both hands

Justice Azam Khan issued an 11-page written judgment dismissing PESCO’s petition and maintaining the order regarding the arrangements for the affected girl’s treatment and rehabilitation. The court directed PESCO to arrange a comprehensive medical assessment of Lubaba at the Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM) in Rawalpindi.

It ruled that the company would be responsible for all expenses related to her treatment, advanced artificial limbs and rehabilitation. The court further ordered that if the required treatment or prosthetic facilities were unavailable in Pakistan, PESCO would also have to bear the expenses of treatment abroad.

In its written judgment, the court observed that electricity distribution companies were responsible not only for ensuring an uninterrupted power supply but also for protecting human lives and meeting safety requirements. Deputy Attorney General Raja Zameeruddin represented the federal government in the case.

In July 2021, Lubaba suffered severe burns when an 11,000-volt electricity line fell in the Pir Qila area of Charsadda district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Both her hands had to be amputated following the incident, leaving her permanently disabled.

Her family approached the federal ombudsman seeking compensation and medical treatment. The ombudsman initially accepted the complaint but later reversed the decision in a review appeal. On October 30, 2025, the president directed PESCO to arrange treatment and provide artificial limbs for the girl.

The Islamabad High Court has now upheld that decision.