Electricity Control Ordinance, 1965

The Electricity Control Ordinance, 1965 is an emergency-powers law letting the Federal Government take control of the country's electricity supply when needed to keep essential services running. Section 2 authorises the Federal Government, by written order, to regulate or prohibit the production, distribution, use, or consumption of electrical energy wherever necessary or expedient to maintain supplies and services essential to the community during an emergency. This includes collecting relevant information and statistics, inspecting premises to check compliance, and issuing or granting licences, permits, or certificates as needed.

Such orders can apply broadly (to persons or undertakings generally) or narrowly (to a specific person, undertaking, or class), can cover a whole undertaking or only part of it, and can be applied nationally or to a specific area.

Section 3 penalises anyone who violates an order under the Ordinance with imprisonment up to six months, a fine, or both. Where the offender is a company, every director, manager, secretary, agent, or other officer involved in running the business is treated as guilty too, unless they can show the offence happened without their knowledge or that they exercised due diligence to prevent it. Section 4 bars any court from questioning orders made under the Ordinance.

Section 5 shields the government and anyone acting under it from lawsuits over good-faith actions taken under the Ordinance. Section 6 requires a written report from an authorised officer before a court can take up a prosecution. Section 7 lets the Federal Government delegate its powers to Provincial Governments or subordinate officers. Section 8 gives this Ordinance and orders made under it overriding effect over any inconsistent law, and Section 9 requires orders to be served the same way as orders under Section 53 of the Electricity Act, 1910.