PESHAWAR: Hundreds of officials of Peshawar Electric Supply Company have been reshuffled as part of a campaign against power theft across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During the past three-day campaign, about 500 illegal power connections were removed and cases against 250 people were forwarded to relevant police for registration of FIRs, a Pesco spokesperson Usmal Saleem told Dawn on Sunday.

He said that the officials were reshuffled as part of the instructions received from the Ministry of Water and Power while some of them were facing inquiries. He said that the campaign against power thieves would continue particularly in the targeted areas in collaboration with the district administration. He added progress reports were forwarded to the federal government on a daily basis.

Mr Saleem said that people involved in power theft had started removing illegal connections and paying dues to the revenue department staff of the power company. He said that it was a good sign. He said that the crackdown was launched on Friday last and would continue till uprooting power theft in the province.

500 illegal connections removed in three days

According to details, the manager at power management Sardar Sajid Nawaz has been posted as chief engineer on a current charge basis. Akhtar Hamid, working as chief engineer development, has been transferred and posted as chief engineer distribution with immediate effect.

Chief operation officer Mohammad Zubair has been transferred and posted as superintendent engineer operation of Mardan Circle. GuI Nabi Syed, working as chief engineer, has been posted as chief operation officer.

Chief technical officer Samina Mustajab Zaidi has been posted as chief engineer at Pesco headquarters.

Chief engineer Tahir Moeen has been posted as chief technical officer at Pesco headquarters. Chief engineer Kashif Karim has been posted as manager (procurement) at the power management unit. Habibur Rehman, working as superintendent engineer in Peshawar circle, has been transferred to Khyber circle.

Nadir Zeman Kundi, working as superintendent engineer in Dera Ismail Khan Circle, has been transferred to Bannu Circle. Shan-i-Haider, working as superintendent engineer in Bannu Circle, has been transferred to Peshawar Circle on a current charge basis.

Asim Jan, working as superintendent engineer in Hazara-11 circle, has been transferred to Abbottabad, Hazara-I circle. Asif Jan Marwat, working as manager of procurement at PMU, has been posted as manager sales at Pesco headquarters. Hundreds of other officials have also been transferred and posted at new locations.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2023