LAHORE: Issues related to over-billing the electricity consumers, wrongful electrification of a housing society and transfers and postings in the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) on “political grounds” could not be addressed despite a probe conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) into these matters.

The FIA recently suspended 19 officials from service in the light of findings of an inquiry into Lesco affairs. The suspended officials include a deputy director, seven assistant directors, two inspectors and nine sub-inspectors.

“The irony of the situation is that some ‘influential’ FIA officers, who were directly involved in the 2024 scam of over-billing, power theft, corruption and wrongful electrification of Khayaban-e-Amin Housing Society, Lahore, got away scot free.

The transfers and postings in Lesco on ‘political grounds’ and irregularities in other administrative matters of the company could also not be addressed,“ an official privy to the matter told Dawn on Tuesday.

“The probe failed to recommend action against some main beneficiaries of the scam,” he said and added the main issues that were supposed to be investigated by the inquiry committees were left unattended.

He further said that some “influential” FIA officials held responsible for wrongful electrification of the housing society in Lahore were neither closed to headquarters, nor suspended.

“Some politically exposed persons (PEPs) of the ruling party also had a role in facilitating the officials mentioned in the probe,” he said and added that instead some other officials were made scapegoats and suspended from service.

“They had neither been served charge sheets/show-cause notices, nor any departmental proceedings were initiated against them at any forum in the Lesco-related matter,” he official said.

“Also, they were never asked to submit any written statement in their defence in relation to the Lesco matters by the fact-finding inquiry committee and the committee led by Shahid Khan (former federal secretary) and Sohail Habib Tajik (additional secretary admin),” the official said.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2025