Major power theft scandal uncovered at Minister's house near Lahore

A large-scale power theft has been uncovered by Sar-e-Aam team in the Bhasin village near Batapur, Lahore, where electricity is being stolen openly at the home of the Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Mal, Sohail Shaukat Butt.

The power theft was exposed by the host of the program Iqrar ul Hassan, who revealed that stolen electricity was being used at Sohail Shaukat Butt’s residence and in his village. Iqrar contacted the provincial minister over the phone and informed him about the electricity theft happening at his house. In response, the minister pretended to be unaware, saying, “Oh, okay.”

The video footage clearly shows that a power hook-up (kunda) is going to the minister’s house, allowing stolen electricity to be used. Iqrar ul Hassan pointed out that when leaders themselves engage in power theft, it sets a bad example for others.

He expressed surprise that the minister’s large residence, which serves as both his residence and office, is using electricity through an illegal hook-up.

Iqrar added that no officials from LESCO or the police had the courage to enter this village because anyone who dared to do so would be severely beaten. He mentioned that he and his team were also attacked with stones and sticks but managed to escape unharmed.

Iqrar ul Hassan criticised the situation, stating that while ordinary citizens are forced to sell their jewellery to pay electricity bills, elected officials like MPs and provincial ministers are blatantly involved in electricity theft. He lamented that the government was not taking any action against them, and no one was holding them accountable.

This revelation has raised serious questions about the government’s willingness to crack down on corruption and power theft at high levels, and it has sparked outrage among the public.

Earlier on December 29, a heinous human trafficking racket involving the sale of newborn babies was uncovered. These infants, often treated like livestock, were sold for large sums of money.

Unfortunately, the illegal trade of newborns became so organized in the country that it has become nearly impossible for authorities to control.

Shocking as it is, the country’s governance failures have led to such desperation that impoverished families are forced to sell their newborns to survive. In a major sting operation, ARY News’ Sar-e-Aam team in Lahore exposed a group involved in this trade.

The buyers of these children fall into two categories: childless couples who wish to adopt a baby, and criminals who purchase young girls for exploitation. In this case, the group was found trying to sell a baby boy, just three days old, and a girl, aged 26 days, for a combined price of Rs2.3 million. The boy was priced at Rs1.4 million, while the girl was sold for Rs900,000.

The most disturbing revelation came when it was discovered that these children were being sold by their biological parents through a network of criminals. The gang had already sold nearly 25 children before this incident. The operation was initiated after the Sar-e-Aam team, using the internet and dark web connections, identified and infiltrated the group.