A significant power theft operation has been exposed by the Sar-e-Aam team in Bhasin village, near Batapur, Lahore, where electricity was being stolen openly at the residence of Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Mal, Sohail Shaukat Butt.
The theft was revealed by the program host, Iqrar ul Hassan, who discovered that stolen electricity was being used at Butt’s house and throughout his village. Iqrar contacted the minister to inform him about the illegal power usage at his residence. The minister responded by feigning ignorance, simply saying, “Oh, okay.”
According to a report by ARY News on Monday, video evidence shows a power hook-up (kunda) leading directly to the minister’s home, enabling him to access stolen electricity. Iqrar emphasized that when leaders engage in such theft, it sends a damaging message to the public.
He also noted the irony of the minister’s large residence, which doubles as both his home and office, being powered by an illegal connection. Iqrar further mentioned that no officials from LESCO or the police dared to intervene in the village, as anyone attempting to do so would face violent repercussions. He and his team were also attacked with stones and sticks but managed to escape unharmed.
Iqrar ul Hassan condemned the situation, highlighting the stark contrast between ordinary citizens, who are forced to sell jewelry to pay their electricity bills, and elected officials like MPs and provincial ministers, who are openly involved in power theft. He expressed disappointment that the government is not taking action against such misconduct and that these officials remain unaccountable.
This revelation has raised serious concerns about the government’s commitment to tackling corruption and power theft at high levels, sparking public outrage.
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