ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has recovered over Rs114 billion in a nationwide crackdown on power theft, initiated as part of government and military efforts to restore the country’s economy.
According to official details, more than 84,500 individuals involved in electricity theft have been arrested, with recoveries amounting to over Rs114 billion. In September alone, authorities collected over Rs1 billion from electricity thieves in major cities including Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, and Islamabad.
The crackdown, launched on September 6 of last year, aimed to tackle electricity theft and reduce the ballooning circular debt in the power sector. The power minister highlighted that Pakistan’s 10 distribution companies are facing an annual loss of Rs589 billion, with electricity theft and nonpayment of bills being the major contributors.
It’s worth noting that inflated power bills had sparked nationwide protests, with some demonstrations turning violent.
