Federal Energy Minister Awais Leghari reported that Pakistan loses Rs600 billion annually due to power theft.
During an interview on the television programme Jirga, Leghari disclosed that despite having 6,000 megawatts of surplus electricity, it was not distributed to avoid an additional Rs2.5 billion loss to the national exchequer. He pointed out the challenge of illegal transformers, which prevent the government from supplying electricity to un-metered feeders to avoid burdening metered consumers.
Leghari emphasized the government’s stance against providing free electricity, noting that it is essential to curb electricity theft. He highlighted efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh to address this issue and praised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for her proactive support.
Annually, power theft costs include Rs137 billion in Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and tribal areas, Rs51 billion in Sindh (excluding Karachi), Rs133 billion in Punjab, and Rs100 billion in Balochistan. Leghari also noted thefts of Rs65 billion in areas like Peshawar, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Nowshera, and Charsadda.
The minister stated that no province would be singled out for electricity theft despite attempts to politicize the issue. He reiterated the government’s commitment to impartially combating electricity theft, mentioning the unique pressure chief ministers face regarding load-shedding. He concluded by asserting that the government’s strategies would yield better results if the KP chief minister sought an uninterrupted power supply for his province.
