Former President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt, said on Wednesday that power theft is increasing rapidly in the country due to its ever-increasing tariff. He said that people in areas known for full bill recovery are now forced to steal electricity.

In a statement issued here today, Shahid Rasheed Butt said that the Kunda mafia has become very active; people are slowing down their electricity meters and bribing officials of electricity companies.

He said that in the current circumstances, the electricity supply companies are also worried, while many officials hide their identities to avoid public anger.

Shahid Rashid Butt stated that, based on a conservative estimate, electricity worth Rs 600 billion is stolen annually in the country.

Sindh experiences an annual theft of electricity worth 51 billion rupees. Punjab loses Rs 131 billion, Balochistan loses Rs 100 billion, and five cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lose 65 billion rupees to power theft.

He said that people in Shikarpur steal 84% of the electricity, residents of the Bannu division steal 64%, and Karachi suffers from electricity worth two billion rupees monthly.

Shahid Rashid Butt said that people are selling jewellery, household items, cattle, etc. to pay bills, while many are borrowing money for it, but such methods cannot last long. Some people install solar systems to avoid inflated bills, but most cannot afford them.

He stated that efforts to stop electricity theft will not be successful unless officials involved face consequences. Some influential have amassed billions with the help of corrupt IPPs, yet the public bears the cost.