The Islamabad High Court has directed the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) to bear all expenses for the treatment, rehabilitation and provision of advanced artificial limbs to nine-year-old Lubaba, who lost both hands in an electricity accident in 2021.
In its 17-page written judgment, the court dismissed PESCO’s petition and upheld the President’s decision directing the company to arrange medical treatment and prosthetic limbs for the affected child.
The court ordered PESCO to ensure a comprehensive medical assessment of Lubaba at the Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM) in Rawalpindi.
The judgment states that PESCO will be responsible for all expenses related to the child’s medical treatment, rehabilitation and modern prosthetic limbs. If the required treatment or prosthetic facilities are unavailable in Pakistan, the company will also have to bear the cost of treatment abroad.
The court observed that electricity distribution companies are responsible not only for ensuring an uninterrupted power supply but also for protecting human lives and fulfilling safety requirements.
Lubaba suffered severe burns in July 2021 when an 11-kilovolt electricity line fell in the Pir Qila area of Charsadda. Both her hands had to be amputated, leaving her permanently disabled.
Her family subsequently approached the Federal Ombudsman for compensation and medical assistance. Although the complaint was initially accepted, the decision was later changed in review proceedings.
On October 30, 2025, the President directed PESCO to arrange treatment and artificial limbs for the child. The company challenged the decision before the Islamabad High Court.
The petition has now been dismissed, with the court maintaining the directions concerning Lubaba’s treatment and rehabilitation.
Deputy Attorney General Raja Zameeruddin represented the federal government in the case.
