ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Power on Thursday directed Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) to provide electricity connections to newly installed streetlights in Municipal Corporation Sukkur without requiring formal applications from the corporation, despite resistance from the company’s chief executive officer, who cited procedural and financial constraints.
The directions were issued following persistent intervention by MNA Nauman Islam Shaikh, who pressed for connections to newly installed streetlights. Sepco CEO Aijaz Ahmed Channa opposed the move, maintaining that electricity supply could not be initiated without a formal application from the Municipal Corporation administration.
“The corporation is already a defaulter of existing streetlight bills, and now the Disco is being pressurised to provide connections to new streetlights without following the formal legal procedure,” the CEO told the committee.
The committee’s intervention came amid broader concerns over electricity theft, detection bills, security of power infrastructure and difficulties faced by distribution companies in recovering dues and protecting their equipment.
Shaharyar Khan Mahar and Khurshid Ahmed Junejo raised the issue of increasing theft of Sepco equipment and electricity infrastructure in Larkana and other areas of Sindh, alleging that adequate action was not being taken against those involved.
MNA Shaharyar Khan Mahar observed that theft of electricity equipment had become comparable to theft of livestock in rural Sindh, with alleged culprits escaping accountability.
Khurshid Ahmed Junejo also expressed concern over the growing incidence of theft of electrical equipment in Larkana, stating that thieves were taking away transformers and wires from transmission lines.
CEO SEPCO informed the committee that the company had hired private security guards to protect its equipment from theft, alleging that Sindh Police was not cooperating in taking action against the accused despite official correspondence with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sindh.
He said the company had been facing serious challenges in safeguarding its infrastructure, particularly in areas where theft of transformers and transmission wires was reported frequently.
The Power Division was asked to examine the issue and facilitate action against those involved in theft of electricity infrastructure.
Additional Secretary Power Division directed the CEO Sepco to provide copies of registered First Information Reports (FIRs) to the committee so that recommendations could be made for forwarding the cases to the Chief Secretary Sindh and the Ministry of Interior for action against the accused.
On the issue of detection bills, the CEO SEPCO informed the committee that a 20 percent reduction in detection bills had been recorded in August 2026 compared with the corresponding month of 2025, following the introduction of an online system by the Power Information Technology Company (PITC).
Acting Secretary Power Division Imtiaz Shah informed the committee that distribution companies had been directed to submit claims relating to detection bills exclusively through the PITC system to improve transparency and ensure proper scrutiny of such charges.
He further stated that Discos had been instructed to disconnect electricity theft-prone areas directly through transformers instead of shutting down entire grids or feeders, ensuring that consumers regularly paying their electricity bills could continue receiving electricity without disruption.
The committee also proposed abolishing detection charges in electricity bills, observing that ordinary consumers were being penalised for electricity theft committed by others.
“Someone else is installing a kunda, while someone else is making the payment,” members observed, emphasising the need to protect paying consumers from unjustified detection bills.
Power Division officials informed the committee that the government was moving towards digitalisation of electricity distribution systems and had initiated a smart metering project to improve monitoring, transparency and control over electricity consumption.
The officials said future arrangements would increasingly enable electricity disconnections through transformers, rather than imposing outages on entire feeders, thereby protecting paying consumers from disruptions caused by electricity theft.
In response to a question regarding transformer availability, CEO Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) Chaudhry Khalid Mehmood informed the committee that distribution companies were facing shortages of transformers due to the situation in the Gulf region.
However, he said the situation was now moving towards normalisation, indicating that supplies were expected to improve.
The committee discussed various measures to improve electricity distribution, curb theft of power infrastructure, ensure transparency in detection bills and protect consumers from unnecessary outages.
The proceedings highlighted the growing challenges confronting distribution companies in Sindh, particularly the theft of transformers and transmission wires, weak enforcement against alleged offenders and financial constraints arising from unpaid electricity bills.
The committee’s recommendations are expected to be taken up by the Power Division and relevant authorities for further action.
The Committee recommended the establishment of the 132 kV Grid Station at Padhana, Haripur, in the larger public interest. The Committee emphasised the prudent utilisation of available funds, while the MNA indicated that efforts would be made at his own level to arrange additional resources. The Power Division observed that the proposed grid station could not be completed within the existing allocation and that a separate case for additional funding would have to be justified before the competent forum. The Secretary, Power Division, stated that HAZECO would prepare the necessary technical justification for submission to Nepra for consideration, while permissible improvements to the existing transmission and distribution network could be pursued within available resources. The Committee directed the CEO, HAZECO, to initiate the necessary follow-up action, including preparation of the case for separate financing.
The Committee directed the CDA to clarify the status of affected buildings in Sector E-11, Islamabad, and address pending NOCs and Layout Plans (LoPs) hindering electricity connections. On the issue raised by Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, the CEO, IESCO, was directed to expedite land acquisition for the proposed grid station at Hazro and resolve electricity wiring and wire-burning issues in Hazro and Hassan Abdal in consultation with the Member. The Committee also directed the CEO, HAZECO, to coordinate with the Chairman, Muhammad Idrees, MNA, to resolve electricity infrastructure issues in Mansehra and Abbottabad.
The meeting was attended by Babar Nawaz Khan, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Chaudhary Naseer Ahmed Abbas, Muhammad Shahryar Khan Mahar, Khurshid Ahmed Junejo (via video link), Nauman Islam Shaikh, Syed Abrar Ali Shah, and Sanjay Perwani, MNAs. Senior officers from the Power Division, HAZECO, IESCO, PPMC and WAPDA also attended the meeting. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SEPCO, participated via video link.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026