Minister of State for Water & Power addressing a press conference at IESCO Headquarters in Islamabad on April 29, 2014. PHOTO: NNI
He also has ordered that the supply should be disconnected from the Parliament lodges, Sindh House, Balochistan House, National Database Registration Authority, Motorway police and the Capital Development Authority.
He further instructed IESCO to disconnect the electricity supply to Frontier Works Organisation, Petroleum Commission, Public Works Department, TMO Muree, TMO Rawalpindi and the environment office.
The electricity supply to the Parliament House was disconnected on Tuesday.
Later in the day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered IESCO to resume electricity supply to the Supreme Court.
Power supply to all blocks of the Pakistan Secretariat was also disconnected, including the offices of the Ministry of Water and Power, according to IESCO spokesperson.
Press conference
During a press conference in Islamabad, Ali said that the electricity connections to all institutions as well as individual consumers who have not paid their bills will be disconnected.
He stated that it was unfair to say that any one province was being target, further stating that the ministry will not let anyone steal electricity whatever the location may be.
The minister also revealed that the Sindh owed Rs56 billion in electricity dues while Azad Kashmir owed Rs33 billion, adding that a campaign against electricity thieves had been started.
Ali also said that he has told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that if markets were closed around 8pm then 1000 megawatts of electricity can be saved.
'Ready to pay dues'
Referring to the recent disconnections, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, while addressing the Sindh Assembly today, said that he requests the premier to restore the electricity supply that was disconnected.
He added that people who disconnect electricity illegally can be arrested.
The chief minister also said that the provincial government was ready to pay the dues of the people who could not pay their bills.
Reading out the rights of the Sindh government, Shah stated that the Sindh government has the right to build grid stations for transmission of electricity within the province.
COMMENTS (54)
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Abid-from gowal mandi to cabinet minister. He is in the government, why does he have to go public and shame his own party and government. He could walk across to Ishaq Dar and ask to borrow some of the $1.5 billion. By the way has Raiwind owners paid up their electricity bills. The public would like to know,
Don't worry because Pakistani people's tax money shall be used for the payments of the dues of the leaders' official residences in Pakistan because Pakistani people's tax money and leaders' residences' kingly and luxurious expenditures always go together......
Another gimmik, drama by pmln. 2nd news item says 'PM ordered to reopen electricity of supreme court' so basically all this was a publicity drama since ministry is not above political influence.
Fully support this!!
Great move!
One best thing to mitigate is temporarily Ban of USING AIR Conditions (ACs) in Governments Offices Building and Residences. This should be implemented at every level, By this shortfall will fall tremendously. (Sacrifice luxury 4 bread and butter of Poor). Abid Sher Ali should not play with emotions of lay man. President house, prime minister house and supreme court should also be fined for this. If they are not fined It would be mere a publicity stunt.
I have missed this reality of non payment history
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/01/20/national/92-of-tribal-people-do-not-pay-electricity-bills/
Though there are negative comments but it is a good move to recover unpaid bills amounting to billions from govt departments and even from the influential lot. Pakistan can only solve its power problem not only by producing more electricity but by cutting down losses in transmission, thefts and recovery of unpaid bills.
I am dissapointed at how most people commenting here instead of appreciating that Abid Sher Ali is working hard feel obliged in making jokes. Nothing can happen of this nation witht this attitude
Excellent job, may Allah SWT protect you from evil eyes. Please check electric n gas bills of Sardar's, rich industrialists, waderas of Sind, Punjab, fata, baloachistan n all other areas. These People has become kings without thrown n professional using state facilities as their birth right. V
We need to start collecting unpaid bills and let's start from the top. This is a right step in the right direction.
Abid Sher Ali, I grudgingly concur. Pakistan is ailing. Injection to lagay ga.
The rest of the World long ago figured out that disconnecting user from the grid was the easiest way to insure payment of bills .. don't ever recall having to disconnect the govt though.
@kala khan you pitiful Indian. Do you seriously have nothing better to do than cause visual pollution on this website? I pity you for it is not only your name that is Kala so is your character. This country was made in 1947 just because Muslims did not want to and simply could not bear to live with you. Bear in mind it is this same Kala mindset that divided your 'mother india' and it will stay divided till the end of time, make no mistake. Good day to you, my characterless brother.
Give the credit where it is due ... stunt or whatever, but the move is good ... plus I fully agree that the markets should be closed at 2000 hrs ... except grocery stores. Let the lazy begum sahibs get up early and buy their "Mausumri" lawns earlier in the day ... it is a joke that the markets open at 12 in the afternoon ... Lazy nation needs to get smart, act smart and work smart. Stop pointing at the leaders for every wrong doing ... Leaders are chosen from us, by us so stop whining and do your own bit ...
Supply of Dahi Wadas ++++++++++++++++++++ is under jeopardy!.
Alhamthoulilla ...The experiment which was started on 14 of Aug 1947 is coming to an end fast .
@Bunty: Fake Tsunami was publicity stunt. This is a real stuff. From May 11, you guys don't need electricity at all because you will be roasted in hot weather, thanks to fake revolutionary leader.
True Son of Faisalabad. This is the only city where 99% consumers pay their electricity bills honestly and on time but they get equal share of load shedding. Shame on all electricity thieves.
@Independent: "If done by PTI then good governance if done by PML(N) then they are called gimmicks"
this is what is referred to as credibility.
@ Independent: Because of the past. Take honesty as benchmark and apply it on both, IK and NS. There won't be too much surprises.
Cheap (yet expensive) trick. This is an excuse to justify another 500 billion rupee payment to the IPPs rather than calling it circular debt. And another opportunity to hello further bias the Supreme Court in the musharraf case.
Cheap and rubbish, now they will use public money for diesel generators. More loss to the nation.
Why don't you cut the electricity of Sharif's sugar mills and industry to give us relief. People are tired of such publicity stunts now. Come up with a practical solution or just resign.
The actions of Mr. Abid Sher Ali will simply result in decreasing the popularity of PML-N Government, which has already been squeezed to the level of Punjab. Instead of disconnecting electricity and making the people suffer, it is better that the Minister should take strict against WAPDA Officials from bottom to top tier level, who are enticing and allowing the people to use electricity illegal on some monthly or seasonal payments. I am not going to say that the consumers are angels and they are not involved in the theft of electricity, but they are doing this all in connivance with the WAPDA Officials.
Why don't you cut the electricity of your sugar mills and industry for a while to give us relief. People don't want such publicity stunt. Come up with some practical solution which can work or resign.
Why no electricity disconnection in Raiwind. Don't tell me that the people down there are angels when it comes to pay bills and taxes
One best thing to mitigate is temporarily Ban of USING AIR Conditions (ACs) in Governments Offices Building and Residences. This should be implemented at every level, By this shortfall will fall tremendously. (Sacrifice luxury 4 bread and butter of Poor).
It is joke of the century
Good......if u want electricity then u have to pay...as simple as that....people in sindh who are shouting for load shedding is all because of non payment, not because of any electricity issue.
do not wait till end , pay bills now , help yourself
Lets support him instead of casting doubts. This way, we will force him to remain stick to this stance, even if he planned it politically.
I wonder why ET would not include Supreme Court and residence of Chief Justice disconnections in this article.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-146123-Power-supply-to-Supreme-Court-disconnected-
So what; they will go for generators means more burden on public as cost has to be born by general public in form of taxes.
SBP will print some more money to pay these bills? What a joke. Minister sahib, lets see if you can stop illegal connections and kanta etc which are bigger thieves?
All these departments should sack the persons responsible for not paying the dues and creating an embarrassing situation for for the State.
LOL - they want everyone to say how democratic they are , they dont leave their own people, what an unbiased attitude !
Well done Abid Sher Ali Bravo The thieves and cheats soukd be pinished How long will you remain at your post??
Why you take action against only The PM, the president so it can come on the news? what about hundreds and thousands of other defaulters?
If done by PTI then good governance if done by PML(N) then they are called gimmicks. People fail to realize except for the top leaders both parties have same material.
We need to support this campaign irrespective of our ethnicity, party affiliation, position in goverment etc. Believe me if this theft/non-payment problem is solved, problem of loadshedding will be mostly over.
Government justice and equality at its highest peak
FTA: "Ali also said that he has told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that if markets were closed around 8pm then 1000 megawatts of electricity can be saved."
Sir, your party resisted this idea when the previous government tried to implement it.
who ever is not paying bills , kindly pay immidately , Govt will not stop now.
poor old publicity stunt. Inspiration from Veena Malik''s life. :)
cheap tricks
hahah Another publicity stunt.... come on be matrure...