LAHORE – Pakistan is doing major reforms in the power sector, and now Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has permanently withdrawn the decades-old free electricity facility offered by its Grade 18 to Grade 20 officers.
The move comes at a time when millions of Pakistanis are struggling to pay record-high electricity bills, soaring fuel adjustment charges, and rising taxes. For many consumers, the decision speaks of a long-overdue step toward accountability, but one they insist must not stop at LESCO.
For the first time in 30-years, senior officers are paying electricity bills like others. The financial impact has been substantial, with electricity charges reportedly consuming more than half of the monthly salaries of some officers.
Before the withdrawal of the benefit, senior LESCO officers were entitled to generous annual allocations of free electricity. Grade 18 officers used to get 6,000 free units per year, Grade 19 officers got 8,000 free units per year, and Grade 20 officers used to get 10,000 free units annually.
Such benefits for senior officers long drawn criticism from consumers, who questioned why ordinary families should bear rising electricity costs while government officials continued to receive subsidized or free power. The policy to abolish free electricity was originally intended to apply to all electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) across Pakistan.
However, while LESCO implemented the decision, officers in other DISCOs challenged the policy in court and obtained stay orders, allowing them to retain the benefit.
Consumer rights advocates and public repeatedly called for an end to special privileges in the power sector, particularly at a time when households and businesses are facing unprecedented electricity costs. Many argue that meaningful reform cannot be achieved through selective implementation. They say exemptions and legal loopholes undermine both public trust and the government’s stated objective of reducing financial losses and circular debt.
LESCO starts Power Cuts over one month Overdue Electricity Bills
