Pakistan: Minister confirms action over Lesco corruption complaint

Pakistan's Power Minister Awais Leghari announced on Sunday that "strict action" has been taken against a Lesco line superintendent after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reported financial corruption. The complaint highlighted an incident where Lesco employees allegedly demanded a bribe to repair a transformer.

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Strict action has been taken against the relevant line superintendent after Asif’s post.

In a social media post, Asif detailed how villagers had to collect donations to pay Rs80,000 for the transformer repair. He expressed dismay that despite the payment, the Lesco employees refused to issue a receipt, questioning the plight of ordinary consumers when such practices occur even with intervention from a former power minister.

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Lesco employees took Rs80,000 to repair the transformer. The villager collected donations to pay the Lesco employees, but they were not given a receipt.

Addressing a press conference, Leghari referred to Asif's tweet as a source of pride, emphasizing the ministry's commitment to self-accountability. He confirmed that the relevant line superintendent faced action following Asif's complaint, framing it as part of the government's efforts to address public grievances and improve performance.

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You can imagine the rest. This happens even when a former power minister, who is currently a cabinet member, intervenes. What will a common consumer be facing?

Leghari acknowledged that corruption is present within power distribution companies (Discos), estimating its prevalence at around 10-15%. He assured that the ministry has a complaint system in place and is working towards its improvement over time, encouraging public representatives to highlight issues faced by citizens.

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The tweet is a source of pride for us as we believe in self-accountability.