ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali on Tuesday issued immediate orders to the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) for the disconnection of electricity supply to 18 government institutions including the President House, Prime Minister's Secretariat, Parliament Lodges, official residence of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Sindh and Balochistan House, DawnNews reported.

Moreover, orders were also issued for the disconnection of electric supply to the head offices of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), environmental directorate, Punjab Jail, Motorway Police, Pakistan Public Works Department, and the office of TMO Rawalpindi.

Addressing a press conference in the federal capital city, the State Minister for Water and Power said that the campaign against electricity defaulters and power thieves had begun on the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and action would be taken against those usurping the rights of the people.

Giving details of the dues owed to the Iesco, Abid Sher said that the Prime Minister's Secretariat owed Rs6.2 million in dues whereas the residence of the Chief Justice of Pakistan owed a bill of Rs1.1 million.

He further said that the CDA owed Rs360 million while the Parliament Lodges owed Rs200 milion to the Iesco.

The State Minister for Water and Power said that in the public sector the Sindh government was a defaulter of Rs56 billion and added that 5,000 connections, which the provincial government had failed to acknowledge, were disconnected in the Sindh.

He further said that electricty theft amounting to Rs70 billion had taken place in Balochistan where 16,000 illegal tube well connections existed.

Various public and private sector departments owed more than Rs3 billion to the Iesco, and the electricity supply compnay had been sending notices to these departments for some time over non-payment of dues.

Owing to the dues, the Iesco on Monday had disconnected the supply of electricity of around 100 buildings and departments for non-payment.

Virtually all government departments at both the central and provincial levels have contributed towards bankrupting the power sector.