Pakistan recovers Rs 108.93 billion in nationwide power theft crackdown

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Power Division has launched a nationwide crackdown on power theft, resulting in the successful recovery of over Rs 108.93 billion.

The campaign is a collaborative effort between the government and military leadership, aims to stabilize the economy, and has already yielded significant results.

Over 84,000 individuals involved in electricity theft have been arrested across the country. In August, authorities recovered over Rs 1 billion from power thieves in major cities such as Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, and Islamabad.

The initiative was announced on September 6 last year to address the growing circular debt in the power sector, which is exacerbated by electricity theft and non-payment of bills.

Moreover, the Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Laghari highlighted that the country’s 10 distribution companies are suffering annual losses amounting to Rs 589 billion, with electricity theft and nonpayment of bills being the primary causes.

The move comes amid widespread protests over inflated electricity bills, which have sparked demonstrations and violence across the country.