Islamabad, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has mandated the creation of an advanced and responsive customer service system within electricity distribution companies to ensure the efficient handling of service interruptions and related complaints.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the directive came during a review meeting in Islamabad focused on addressing electricity load shedding, combating electricity theft, and advancing reforms within the energy sector. The Prime Minister emphasized the need for minimal load shedding amid the current severe heat and called for the procurement of transformers that meet international standards to support the modernization of the energy infrastructure.

Shehbaz Sharif also urged provincial governments to intensify efforts against electricity theft by enforcing stringent penalties for violators and resolving issues of over-billing. He reviewed the ongoing efforts to overhaul the National Transmission and Dispatch Company and was informed of significant progress, including the registration of over thirty thousand cases and the arrest of 90 employees related to billing fraud from April 1 to May 30.

Further initiatives discussed included a project to meter over 124,000 transformers, slated for inclusion in the upcoming development budget, and the transition of one-third of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company’s (IESCO) consumers to smart meters with the aid of the Asian Development Bank—a project expected to expand nationwide.

The meeting also covered the current demand and supply dynamics of electricity, highlighting regions with better dues recovery that have been designated as load shedding-free, while areas on the default list experience only partial load shedding.

The briefing concluded with an update on the achievements of the national anti-electricity theft campaign, signaling a robust approach to tackling key challenges in Pakistan’s energy sector.