KP suffers daily loss of Rs583 million due to power theft

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) continues to bear the brunt of systemic power sector issues, as electricity theft and technical shortfalls cost the province over Rs193 billion in just 11 months, according to a detailed report issued by the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO).

The province has endured a staggering Rs193.4 billion loss between July 2024 and May 2025. This translates to around Rs17.5 billion every month, or Rs583 million every single day, drained from the provincial economy.

Among the districts, Bannu has emerged as the worst-affected area in terms of percentage loss, with an astonishing 73.86% loss rate, equating to Rs11.74 billion in losses.

While Peshawar reported a lower loss percentage, the financial toll was the highest in absolute terms, reaching Rs51.44 billion. Other high-loss districts include:

• Tank – 66.19%
• Karak – 65.24%
• Dera Ismail Khan – 57.94% (Rs12.31 billion)
• Mardan – 44.92% (Rs16.88 billion)
• Nowshera – 38.93% (Rs13.27 billion)

In contrast, Battagram (13.51%) and Haripur (11.22%) reported the lowest losses, offering a glimpse of relative stability in otherwise troubled terrain.

PESCO officials have painted a grim picture of operational challenges, pointing to “political interference,” non-cooperative local authorities, and aging infrastructure as key hurdles in reducing losses. A senior company officer bluntly remarked, “We cannot control what we can’t police,” underlining the helplessness in enforcing accountability and oversight in theft-prone areas.

The data lays bare a crisis that’s draining KP’s resources at an alarming rate. Without systemic reforms, infrastructure upgrades, and stronger governance, the province may continue to lose millions daily, crippling development and deepening the power sector’s woes.