LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) on Monday constituted a ‘fact-finding’ committee to probe into Defence Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif’s allegation related to corruption against field staff of Pattoki (rural) subdivision.

The company has advised the committee to complete the inquiry at the earliest and impose heavy penalties on staff found guilty.

The committee was constituted after the Lesco management suspended five officials including the Phoolnagar (Lesco Division) Executive Engineer Ahmad Faraz, Pattoki (rural) SDO Ibrar Ur Rehman, feeder in charge Muhammad Hussain and linemen Falak Sher and Muhammad Shaukat.

On the other hand, the Pattoki Saddar police have registered a case against a transformer repair mechanic Muhammad Shabbir for removing, repairing and reinstalling the transformer without permission from Lesco employees and causing a loss of Rs470,000.

“We have constituted the committee headed by the Lesco’s director (operations) to probe the matter on merit and submit a report. We have also suspended five staffers including the executive engineer so that they couldn’t influence the inquiry in any case,” Lesco CEO Muhammad Ramzan Butt told Dawn on Monday.

Kh Asif in his post on X on Sunday stated that the transformer of his servant’s village was burnt on Saturday. He said he called an ex-CEO of Lesco known to him and requested him to ask someone to rectify the fault.

The Lesco employees, according to him, repaired the transformer and charged Rs80,000 from the villagers who collected this amount from their own pocket. But the Lesco workers, according to minister, didn’t give them any receipt. He criticised Lesco, stating that they (Lesco workers) didn’t bother and received money despite knowing about reference of a sitting minister and former minister for energy (power division).

“What will be happening with common consumers? The money has been paid but Lesco is denying issuance of receipt,” he deplored.

The minister’s post also attracted trolling by many X users. “You have government in Federal, Punjab, Sindh and GB. Shame on you for complaining like this,” commented a user while criticising the minister. Another user advised the minister to resign.

The CEO said the transformer repair is, in fact, not allowed at any private workshop, as it is only permitted at the Lesco’s own workshop.

“In fact some retired Lesco employees have set up workshops for repair / maintenance of the transformers. And they do this work allegedly in connivance with the respective subdivisions. On this, we have already taken strict action against the SDO and his staff,” the Lesco chief revealed.

When asked why the FIR was lodged against the transformer mechanic alone as he couldn’t do this without having a go-ahead from the respective Lesco subdivision, the CEO said the transformer mechanic had confessed before the police about receiving Rs80,000 on account of repairing the transformer and stealing copper from it. Moreover, the accused has also stated that none of the officers was involved in the repair of the transformer, he claimed.

The CEO said the minister should have contacted him directly instead of approaching a former CEO. “The honourable minister also knows me and he should have talked to me instead of asking an ex-CEO.”

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026