ISLAMABAD: Federal Energy Minister Awais Leghari said the country was suffering a loss worth a whopping Rs600 billion a year due to power theft.
“Pakistan had 6,000 megawatts of extra electricity but it was advertently not supplied because it would have inflicted a damage of another Rs2.5 billion to the national exchequer,” the energy minister said during an interview with local TV channel.
He said illegal transformers were set up; therefore, the government could not provide electricity to them as those feeders were not even on meters.
“If we provide electricity to them, then the consumers having meters will bear the burden. The federation has no charity money to give. It is our responsibility to stop electricity theft,” he said.
Leghari said the centre had requested Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh to stop power theft. On the other hand, he said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz started helping the federal government without even its asking.
“Electricity theft causes a loss of Rs600 billion annually. We will stop it at any cost and not bow to political pressure or threats,” he said.
The minister said there was an annual loss of Rs137 billion in Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and tribal areas.
“Apart from Karachi, electricity worth Rs51 billion is being stolen annually in Sindh. Electricity worth Rs133 billion is being stolen in Punjab and Rs100 billion power is being stolen in Balochistan,” he said. –Agencies
