• Fines imposed on transmission company over violations of economic merit order • IHC had stayed deductions of dues, referred matter back to regulator • Nepra insists earlier action ‘did not fully align with legal framework’ ISLAMABAD: In a major U-turn, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday withdrew Rs42 billion in penalties imposed on the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) for alleged violations of the economic merit order (EMO) in the utilisation of power plants. The NTDC had been pleading for years that deductions of about Rs42bn from its dues were hampering the completion of nationally important infrastructure projects. The regulator, meanwhile, had been penalising the company over delays in removing system constraints and had deducted amounts from NTDC’s Use of System Charges payable by distribution companies.