A KP power outage linked to bill recovery has left 316 transformers without supply after Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), the public utility that distributes electricity in much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, switched them off during an ongoing crackdown on prolonged nonpayment and electricity theft.
Pesco said operational teams acted in regions covering Peshawar, Khyber, Mardan, Swabi, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan and Buner. The company said the campaign began towards the end of last month and has continued over the past few days, targeting areas where unpaid utility arrears run into millions of rupees.
Where transformers were switched off
According to the utility, Khyber circle alone saw 116 transformers disconnected over nonpayment of Rs117 million. In Peshawar circle, eight transformers were switched off for Rs22 million in dues. In Swat circle, 94 transformers were cut over Rs100 million in arrears.
Pesco also reported 41 transformers disconnected in Bannu and 44 in Dera Ismail Khan. On Tuesday, it said power supply to 13 transformers was cut over nonpayment of Rs8.8 million. Separately, another transformer was disconnected after the company said all consumers drawing from it were using illegal connections, commonly called kunda links.
Why Pesco says supply was cut
A Pesco spokesperson said supply was disconnected in areas where consumers had not paid electricity bills for several months and had ignored repeated notices to clear dues. He said the campaign was ordered by Pesco chief executive officer Akhtar Hameed Khan, and that teams were talking with residents in open public meetings known as khuli kutcheries.
He added that KP electricity supply was restored at once in places where locals paid their bills and promised to stop theft. That framing presents the outages as temporary enforcement tools rather than permanent shutdowns, though households on affected feeders still face lost power until dues are settled.
Crackdown continues in Dera Ismail Khan
Meanwhile, Pesco and a district joint task force kept up action against theft and unpaid dues in parts of Dera Ismail Khan district on Tuesday. The operation, led by Dera circle superintending engineer Hizbullah Khan Mehsud, disconnected five transformers, removed four others, and eliminated 25 illegal connections.
Two people were arrested during that operation and handed over to Cantt police. Pesco submitted documents and letters to police seeking registration of seven cases.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- End of last month: Pesco launches the bill-recovery and anti-theft drive across its KP regions.
- Past few days: Teams disconnect transformers in Peshawar, Khyber, Mardan, Swabi, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan, Buner and related circles; the utility’s reported total reaches 316.
- Tuesday: Thirteen transformers cut over Rs8.8 million in dues; in Dera Ismail Khan, five transformers disconnected, four removed, 25 illegal connections eliminated, two arrests, and seven cases sought.
Aasan alfaaz mein
KP mein Pesco ne 316 transformers ki bijli band kar di hai. Yeh un ilaqon mein hua jahan logon ne kai mahine bill nahi diye ya chorai ka ilzam hai. Jahan log bill bhar dein aur chorai band karne ka wada karen, wahan bijli wapas milne ki baat ki gai hai. Agar aap ke ilaqe ka transformer is drive mein aaya ho to bill clear karna aur notice ka jawab dena zaroori ho sakta hai.
