Electricity thieves have now become a major headache for Pakistan’s Shehbaz government. In an unusual move, Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI has been tasked with catching electricity thieves. To address this issue, Shehbaz Sharif has formed a special task force that includes ISI agents. In Karachi alone, 18 ISI agents have been deployed to catch electricity thieves. Alongside ISI, officials from Military Intelligence and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will also be part of this task force, which will operate for the next two years to apprehend electricity thieves.
Electricity theft costs Pakistan a staggering 50 billion rupees every month, making it a significant issue for the government. Even ISI agents must be wondering what times have come to—an agency known for managing terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, and orchestrating cross-border attacks, is now tasked with catching electricity thieves. In today’s DNA, Zee News takes a look at Pakistan government’s crackdown against power theft:
राहुल का ‘माइंडसेट’..टारगेट पर ‘इंडियन स्टेट’?
‘सनातन बोर्ड’..मौलाना के लिए ‘उल्टी गंगा’?
लाउडस्पीकर पर देवा भाऊ का ‘योगी मॉडल’!
देखिए DNA LIVE के साथ
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Statistics reveal that electricity theft in Pakistan has grown at a faster pace than its population. According to Pakistan’s Energy Ministry, in 2013, electricity theft amounted to 90 billion rupees, which increased to 1.5 trillion rupees by 2021. Last year, the figure reached 6 trillion rupees, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
For Shehbaz Sharif’s government, electricity theft is a major challenge, but the public has their own justification: electricity is so expensive that people battling poverty and inflation simply cannot afford to pay their bills. While the public is helpless, the government is even more constrained. When Pakistan borrowed money from the IMF, it promised to cut subsidies. As a result, electricity subsidies were reduced, prices soared, and theft became rampant.
Between the poor citizens and the helpless government, there exists a small group of Pakistanis who are fed up with hearing labels like “Pakistan of beggars” or “Pakistan of electricity thieves.” These people are frustrated by the country’s tarnished reputation. But when the country is Pakistan, the people must understand that respect isn’t asked for; it’s earned—something Pakistan seems incapable of achieving.
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