Islamabad, Oct 4: The Power Division has successfully recovered over Rs119 billion in a nationwide crackdown on electricity theft, as reported by ARY News on Friday.
This initiative, part of the Pakistani government’s and military leadership’s efforts to revive the country’s economy, is beginning to yield positive outcomes.
Details indicate that a total of Rs119.79 billion has been recovered from individuals involved in electricity theft, with 85,572 arrests made since the operation commenced.
Relevant authorities collected more than one billion rupees from electricity thieves in cities such as Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, Sukkur, Quetta, Hyderabad, and Islamabad between September 24 and October 2.
During this time frame, 242 power thieves were apprehended.
On September 6 of the previous year, the caretaker federal government announced plans for a nationwide crackdown on electricity theft to address the escalating circular debt within the power sector.
The power minister highlighted that ten distribution companies in Pakistan are incurring annual losses of Rs589 billion, primarily due to electricity theft and unpaid bills.
It is important to note that rising electricity bills have led to widespread protests across the country, from Karachi to Khyber, with some demonstrations escalating into violence.
