Pakistan Introduces Electronic Power Monitoring System to Crack Down on Power Theft
DERA GHAZI KHAN — Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari on Monday announced that an Electronic Power Monitoring System (EPMS) is being introduced across Pakistan to combat electricity theft and reduce the heavy financial losses the illegal practice inflicts on the country’s power sector.
Speaking to the media after visiting the expansion project of Dera Ghazi Khan Airport, the minister said the new EPMS Pakistan rollout would allow authorities to take pinpointed action against power theft without punishing regular bill-paying consumers, a shift from the blanket feeder-wide measures used in the past. The EPMS Pakistan announcement was made during an inspection visit where the minister reviewed runway extension work at the airport site.
How EPMS Pakistan Will Target Power Theft
Under the proposed system, electricity transformers serving areas affected by power theft will be selectively disconnected, preventing honest and regular bill-paying consumers in other areas from facing unnecessary power disruptions.
Leghari explained that the EPMS would help authorities identify transformers feeding localities where electricity theft is rampant and enable targeted enforcement in those pockets, rather than cutting supply to thousands of consumers across an entire feeder because of theft in one area.
The EPMS Pakistan deployment is designed to curb electricity theft and bring down transmission and distribution losses, which remain one of the biggest structural problems in Pakistan’s power sector and a key reason behind scheduled load-shedding in many areas.
Some outlets reporting the same announcement give the system’s name as the Advanced Power Management System (APMS). Both names describe the same transformer-level monitoring and disconnection rollout for theft-hit areas.
No Relief for Power Thieves as Load-Shedding Policy Continues
Commenting on the country’s current power situation, the minister clarified that load-shedding was being carried out according to a predetermined schedule. He said electricity cuts would continue on feeders where transmission and distribution losses stand at 30 per cent or higher, maintaining the government’s existing policy for managing high-loss areas.
Leghari maintained that consumers had been protected from excessively high electricity bills. However, he made the government’s position clear: those involved in power theft or failing to pay their bills would not be given any relief under the EPMS Pakistan enforcement framework.
The minister added that gas supply challenges linked to the Iran-US tensions had increased the cost of electricity generation, adding to the pressures facing Pakistan’s energy sector.
Rs5.5 Billion DG Khan Airport Expansion to Finish by January 2028
During the same visit, Leghari announced that the Rs5.5 billion expansion of Dera Ghazi Khan Airport to accommodate international flights would be completed by January 2028.
The minister inspected the runway extension work and reviewed progress at the project site, saying Civil Aviation Authority teams were working on the expansion, which would improve travel facilities and create new development opportunities in South Punjab.
Leghari said the prime minister had announced four major development projects for Dera Ghazi Khan, including the airport expansion, the construction of a cancer hospital, a long-term sewerage scheme designed to meet the city’s needs for the next 50 years, and major road expansion initiatives.
He said the development projects would improve transport, healthcare, sewerage and road infrastructure in Dera Ghazi Khan, opening new avenues of progress for the city and the wider South Punjab region.
Why the EPMS Power Theft Crackdown Matters
Electricity theft — from direct hooking on wires to tampered meters — is a chronic drain on Pakistan’s power distribution companies, feeding line losses and circular debt while honest consumers bear the cost through higher tariffs and scheduled load-shedding.
The EPMS Pakistan initiative signals a move toward technology-led enforcement: instead of punishing whole feeders, the system is meant to isolate theft-hit transformers so action is surgical and paying consumers stay powered.
Whether the monitoring rollout delivers will depend on execution on the ground — installation across distribution companies’ networks, accurate theft detection, and sustained enforcement against organised theft networks. For the EPMS Pakistan initiative to succeed, the minister’s message is unambiguous: power thieves and chronic bill defaulters should expect no leniency.
Sources: Energy Update, Centreline / DNA News Agency
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