Pakistan recovers Rs. 119.79 billion in crack down against electricity theft

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s nationwide crackdown on electricity theft is yielding impressive results, with the Power Division recovering a staggering Rs119.79 billion from individuals involved in power theft.

This initiative, launched by the government and military leadership to revitalize the country’s economy, has led to the arrest of 85,572 electricity thieves since its inception

Between September 24 and October 2, authorities collected over one billion rupees from electricity thieves in major cities, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, Sukkur, Quetta, Hyderabad, and Islamabad. During this period, 242 power thieves were also apprehended.

The crackdown was announced on September 6 last year by the caretaker federal government to tackle the massive circular debt in the power sector.

According to the Power Minister, 10 distribution companies face annual losses of Rs589 billion, primarily due to electricity theft and non-payment of bills. This issue sparked country-wide protests, some of which turned violent, following inflated power bills.

The recovery of such a significant amount and the arrest of thousands of electricity thieves demonstrate the government’s commitment to addressing this critical issue and restoring economic stability.