Mardan becomes Pakistan's first power theft-free city

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Mardan on Wednesday declared loadshedding-free city under the “Zero-Theft, Zero-Loadshedding” initiative launched by the power division.

Mardan had been facing power outages for more than six hours a day.

Secretary Power Division Rashid Langrial launched “The Mardan Model” in Islamabad on Wednesday, under which there will be no loadshedding in the city as the power theft has ended and recoveries have also improved in the region. With this Mardan has become Pakistan’s first power theft-free city.

Langrial in his statement said countrywide drive against power theft is underway on the directions of Caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. Loadshedding will end from the country only when all the feeders become theft-free, he added.

Rashid Langrial said power theft is not possible without the help of DISCOs employees. In the ongoing drive staff of power companies involved in power theft are also taken into custody.

Situated around 50 kilometers from the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mardan was among the worst performers, as power losses there were reported around 56%. But with coordinated efforts of different departments, the losses have been brought to less than 8% in a span of two months whereas theft has been curbed 100%, according to the ministry officials.