LAHORE (Web Desk) – Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has alleged that employees of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) collected Rs80,000 from villagers to repair a damaged electricity transformer but failed to issue any official receipt, raising fresh questions about accountability within the power distribution system.
میرے گھریلو ملازم کے گاؤں میں ٹرانسفارمر کل جل گیا۔ لیسکو کے ایک پرانے مہربان ceo کو فون کیا کے کسی کو فون کریں اور مہربانی فرمائیں ۔ ملازمین نے ٹرانسفارمر مرمت کردیا اور 80000روپے لیے اور مرمت کردیا۔ گاؤں والوں نے چندہ جمع کرکے لیسکو کے ملازمین کو ادا کردیا۔ رسید کسی نے نہیں دی۔…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) May 30, 2026
In a post shared on social media platform X late Saturday, Asif recounted an incident involving a village where his domestic worker lives, claiming residents were left without electricity after a transformer burned out.
According to the minister, he contacted a former chief executive officer of LESCO and requested assistance to help restore power to the affected community. Following this intervention, he said utility staff repaired the transformer but demanded Rs80,000 from local residents for the work.
The amount, he claimed, was collected through community contributions, with villagers pooling money together to restore electricity supply to their area.
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However, Asif alleged that despite receiving the payment in full, LESCO employees did not provide any official documentation or receipt acknowledging the transaction.
“Nobody issued a receipt for the payment,” the defence minister stated, claiming that repeated requests for proof of payment were ignored by the utility staff involved.
The senior cabinet member suggested the episode reflected deeper governance and accountability problems within public utilities, arguing that even influential officeholders struggled to challenge such practices.
“This is the situation where even a former power minister and a serving member of the federal cabinet cannot prevent such practices despite making a recommendation,” Asif wrote.
He further questioned the difficulties faced by ordinary consumers, saying that if senior government officials could not ensure transparency, the public would likely face even greater challenges.
“You can imagine the plight of an ordinary consumer,” he added.
LESCO, a state-owned electricity distribution company, serves millions of consumers across central Punjab, including Lahore and surrounding districts. The company operates under the administrative oversight of the federal government through the Ministry of Energy’s Power Division.
The allegations come amid broader criticism of electricity distribution companies over service delivery and customer complaints.
Earlier this month, residents in several parts of Lahore raised concerns regarding prolonged and unannounced power outages, claiming repeated complaints to LESCO produced little response.
Consumers also complained that electricity bills continued to increase despite frequent disruptions in supply.
“The bills keep increasing every month, but electricity disappears without warning,” a resident from Sabzazar previously complained, saying households were struggling to cope with rising temperatures and unreliable service.
The allegations made by Asif have not yet received an official response from LESCO.
