Federal Minister for Energy, Awais Leghari, has dropped a bombshell, revealing that electricity theft in Pakistan is not limited to the poor — powerful industrial giants and furnace oil plants are neck-deep in stealing power.
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In a fiery press conference, Leghari slammed power distribution companies (DISCOs) for burdening the nation with staggering losses. “In FY 2023-24 alone, DISCOs caused a loss of Rs. 591 billion. If this theft and inefficiency had been curbed, Pakistan could have paid off a major chunk of its national debt,” he declared.
He said the federal cabinet is deeply alarmed and has decided to overhaul DISCOs with a firm commitment to clean governance. “We’ve ended the culture of political recommendations in appointments,” Leghari said, pointing to a strategic reshuffle of board members across distribution companies under the Power Division’s new vision.
Highlighting the turnaround, the minister announced a historic reduction of Rs. 191 billion in DISCOs’ losses by June 30, 2025, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership. “We had pledged to cut Rs. 100 billion in losses, but have surpassed that — bringing it down from Rs. 591 billion to Rs. 399 billion.”
He revealed that of last year’s Rs. 591 billion in losses, Rs. 315 billion came from unpaid bills. But for the first time in Pakistan’s history, bill recovery has reached a record 96 percent.
Leghari exposed the scale of theft, disclosing that Rs. 276 billion worth of electricity was stolen last year. “Let’s be clear — this isn’t about a poor man stealing electricity. The real culprits are major industrial units and furnace oil plants,” he said. “One large industry steals more electricity than an entire village.”
He praised Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) for leading the charge in fighting theft. “LESCO took unprecedented action against large-scale power thieves. Their success proves this battle can be won.”
Leghari vowed the government will continue to push for stronger accountability and deeper reforms to further slash losses in the coming year.
