Islamabad [Pakistan], June 24 : Pakistan Federal Energy Minister Awais Leghari said that the country was suffering a loss worth a whopping Pakistani Rupees 600 billion a year due to electricity theft, reported Geo News.
The energy minister said that Pakistan had 6000 megawatts of extra electricity on Saturday but it was not supplied as it could have caused damage of over Rs 2 billion to the national exchequer.
"Pakistan had 6,000 megawatts of extra electricity on Saturday but it was advertently not supplied because it would have inflicted damage of another Rs2.5 billion to the national exchequer," the energy minister said during an interview on Geo News programme.
He further said that 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 mentioned that the centre had requested Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh to stop power theft.
Meanwhile, he said that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz started helping the federal government without even asking, as reported by Geo News.
"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 Rs 137 billion in Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and tribal areas.
"Apart from Karachi, electricity worth Rs 51 billion is being stolen annually in Sindh. Electricity worth Rs 133 billion is being stolen in Punjab and Rs 100 billion power is being stolen in Balochistan," he said.
"Electricity worth Rs 65 billion has been stolen in Peshawar, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Nowshera and Charsadda," he added.
Leghari said that it was not possible to discriminate against any province involved in electricity theft, Geo News reported.
Moreover, attempts were being made to give it a political colour but the government would take measures to stop electricity theft without political rhetoric, he emphasised.
"There was pressure on all the chief ministers on the issue of loadshedding, but no one reacted like the KP chief minister. If he wants 24-hour electricity for the people of his province, then our formula will provide better results," he said.
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