Pakistan recovers over Rs133 bln from defaulters in power theft

KARACHI: In a recent groundbreaking move, the Power Division has recovered more than Rs133 billion so far in a nationwide crackdown on power theft that began in September 2023.

Positive outcomes are now being seen from the crackdown that the Pakistani government and military leadership initiated in an effort to revive the nation’s economy.

Details show that more than 87,516 electricity thieves were taken into custody and that more than 133 billion rupees were recovered from those responsible for power theft.

The power division detained 173 violators and collected Rs920 million from power thieves last week. The government of Pakistan has pledged to keep up the campaign until the threat of power theft is eradicated nationwide.

Earlier, the Power Division recovered over Rs107 billion in a nationwide crackdown on power theft. This operation, initiated by the Pakistani government and supported by military measures, is yielding positive outcomes in efforts to stabilize the country’s economy.

Moreover, details reveal that more than Rs107 billion has been recovered from individuals involved in power theft, and over 83,000 electricity thieves got arrested.

In August alone, institutions collected over one billion rupees from electricity thieves in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, and Islamabad.

Earlier, on September 6, the then-caretaker federal government announced a nationwide crackdown to address electricity theft and reduce the escalating circular debt in the power sector.

The power minister noted that Pakistan’s ten distribution companies are facing an annual loss of Rs589 billion, primarily due to electricity theft and nonpayment of bills.

The surge in power bills  led to nationwide protests, with demonstrations from Karachi to Khyber, some of which turned violent.