ISLAMABAD: The federal government said on Friday that power sector receivables had crossed Rs503 billion and accused the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of protecting electricity thieves, taking Pesco staff hostage for ransom and “provincialising” the national energy challenge.

Addressing a news conference, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali asked how the federal government could improve bill collection and overcome theft and loadshedding when a provincial government and its ministers resisted removal of tens of thousands of illegal connections, instead of helping power companies trying to do so.

He said since he relied on facts and figures provided by the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), the KP chief minister, ministers and even PTI chief Imran Khan had launched a campaign against him in news conferences and on social media which was unfortunate and against democratic norms.

Answering a question, Mr Sher Ali negated a perception that KP was being singled out (in action against power theft) and said that in Hyderabad (Sindh) power supply to even government offices had been disconnected. Despite political pressure, the connections were not restored until payments were made. “This is a national campaign.”

He said that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Imran Khan had themselves demanded control of Pesco to improve its working, but backed out when the federal government agreed to do so.

Then they demanded control over power generation as well “without realising that all dams in the country were built by and belong to the people of Pakistan.

Mr Khan and Khattak, he alleged, were not ready to shun provincial prejudices. “They are trying to convert a national issue into a provincial one to undermine a campaign against electricity thieves,” Mr Sher Ali said.

He also accused KP Information Minister Shah Farman and PTI MPA Fazal Elahi of protecting electricity thieves and encouraging consumers not to pay bills in their areas even though up to 99.3 per cent line losses were reported at some feeders in KP.

“This is unfair to millions of consumers in KP who pay their bills timely but face loadshedding because of huge line losses” he said. “At tens of feeders in KP more than 90 per cent line losses are reported. For Pesco staff, there are hundreds of no-go areas, not only in far-flung areas, but also within and around the provincial capital Peshawar.”

He said that on announcements made through loudspeakers in mosques, Shah Farman had asked people not to pay electricity bills, which was unfair with honest consumers of Nowshera, Mardan, Swat, Malakand, Abbottabad and other areas.

“The consumers in these areas are suffering because of theft. The use of “Kundas” (illegal connections) by people is being protected by ministers and the chief minister.

“Is this the change Imran Khan promised to the nation and is it transparency and uprightness he is introducing in politics”, the minister of state asked.

He alleged that Pesco employees were fired at and held hostage and later freed on payment of ransom. “FIRs have been registered against those responsible for the incidents but the KP minister and administration do not take any action against them.”

At 61 feeders in KP, he said, line losses were recorded at over 90 per cent and at another 65 feeders 80 to 90 per cent, resulting in Rs1.5 million daily loss to Pesco.

He said that receivables of the distribution companies had reached Rs503bn as of December 31, 2013.

When provincial governments adopted such an attitude and politicised a national cause, neither loadshedding could be ended nor other problems could be solved, he said.

Giving examples, he said, the Rahman Baba feeder recorded 71 per cent losses and the Umar feeder in Baghban area 86 per cent, with their cumulative receivables at about Rs180m. Shabqadar feeder reports 82 per cent losses and Rs40m receivables and Daudzai feeder 98.4 per cent.

The Chakarmati feeder, just 2km from Peshawar, recorded 99.3 per cent line losses and reflected Rs275m loss, he said and alleged that the locality had been turned into a ‘no-go area’ (for Pesco staff) though it was not in tribal region.

Mr Sher Ali showed pictures of “Kundas” under PTI flags and said Mashoo Guglu feeder recorded 91.6 per cent losses and Warsak I and II 97.6 per cent and 99.4 per cent, respectively, and 1.6bn receivables.