As per Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, government officials in Pakistan consumed electricity valued at Rs. 8.19 billion in 2022 without any cost. This implies that electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) supplied electricity to government employees free of charge. The data reveals that around 189,000 employees took advantage of this arrangement, enjoying complimentary electricity.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed drew attention to information provided by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) which disclosed that individuals within the power industry used 340 million units of electricity at no cost, as stated in a release on X date.
Furthermore, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed pointed out that over the past 15 months, the country incurred substantial financial losses due to power theft, totaling Rs. 500 billion.
In addition, he highlighted that 743 employees within the power sector faced penalties for their involvement in facilitating electricity theft. Among these employees, 422 were associated with the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), 124 with the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), and 118 with the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO).