Pakistan Supreme Court Orders Scrutiny of WAPDA Officials Over Power Theft and Illegal Electricity Supply

Electricity theft in Pakistan is an open secret. Illegal wires hang from poles in cities and villages across the country, power flows to shops and homes without a meter, and honest customers end up paying the price. On Friday, 6 November 2026, the Supreme Court of Pakistan said what many Pakistanis have long believed: this kind of theft is very hard to carry out without officials knowing about it.

A two-member bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, directed that the role of WAPDA and power distribution company officials in electricity theft and the illegal sale of electricity should be thoroughly examined. The court also ordered that a copy of its order be sent to the chairman of WAPDA.

The judges were hearing a case that began with a tragedy — a man electrocuted by a broken wire connected to an illegal power supply. The court’s message went far beyond that one case. It pointed at a problem that costs the country dearly every year and puts lives at risk: stolen electricity, sold illegally, with the help — or at least the knowledge — of the very officials meant to stop it.

What the Supreme Court said

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition that asked it to cancel the pre-arrest bail of an accused person in a case about an electrocution caused by a broken electricity wire. But the judges used the hearing to speak about the bigger picture.

The court observed that it was difficult to believe that electricity could be supplied without the knowledge of WAPDA or the concerned power company and its officials. In plain words, the judges were saying that illegal power connections do not appear out of nowhere. Someone has to put them up, someone has to look the other way, and someone has to keep quiet about it.

The bench said the roles of all those involved in electricity theft, the illegal sale of power, and the private supply of electricity outside the authorised procedure should be thoroughly examined by the relevant authorities. It then directed that a copy of its order be forwarded to the WAPDA chairman for information — a step that puts the country’s top power official formally on notice.

The court was careful to add that its observations would not affect the merits of the pending criminal case. That case will be decided by the trial court on its own evidence, the judges said. The petition itself was disposed of as withdrawn, after the petitioner decided not to pursue it during the hearing.

The bench also explained why it would not cancel the accused’s bail. The judges observed that the legal principles for granting bail and cancelling bail are different. Bail cannot be cancelled merely on unreasonable grounds. Cancellation requires showing that bail was granted illegally, or that the accused misused the concession — for example, by intimidating witnesses, trying to destroy evidence, or interfering with the investigation. Finding no such reason, the court saw no cause to interfere with the Sindh High Court’s order upholding the accused’s bail.

The case behind the order: a death in Larkana

The case that brought the issue before the Supreme Court began in Larkana, Sindh, in March 2024.

According to the court record, the petitioner, Ali Asghar Khokhar, alleged that a contractor was supplying electricity to shops with the connivance of WAPDA officials. The illegal supply was drawn through a “special line” from a disposal phase, and it crossed an 11,000-volt high-tension line over the complainant’s shop.

On 3 March 2024, at around 1:30 in the afternoon, a PVC wire connected to the high-voltage line snapped. The wire electrocuted Khokhar’s brother, Noor Hussain, who suffered severe burns. The complaint named four accused: a subdivisional officer (SDO), a line superintendent of the Sukkur Electric Power Supply Company (SEPCO), and two private individuals, including the contractor Anwar Ali Kori.

A first information report (FIR No. 03/2025) was registered at Rehmatpur police station in Larkana district. The case then moved through the courts, with the Sindh High Court hearing bail matters before the petition reached the Supreme Court.

The petitioner had asked the Supreme Court to cancel the pre-arrest bail granted to Anwar Ali Kori. He later decided not to pursue the petition. But by then the judges had already turned their attention to the question at the heart of the case: how does an illegal electricity connection, strung across a high-voltage line in broad daylight, go unnoticed by the officials responsible for that area?

What is electricity theft — and how does it work?

Electricity theft, known in Pakistan as “kunda” — the hook — is simple in method and huge in scale. A wire is thrown over a power line, or a connection is taken directly from a pole or transformer, bypassing the meter. The electricity flows, but nobody pays for it. In other cases, meters are slowed down or tampered with, so a customer uses far more power than the bill shows.

Sometimes the theft is done by individual households struggling with high bills. But the large-scale theft the Supreme Court was talking about is different. It is organised: whole streets, markets, workshops and housing areas running on illegal connections, sometimes for years. Contractors and middlemen sell the stolen power to shops and homes, collecting regular payments that never reach the power company.

This is where officials come in. Power lines, transformers and meters are the responsibility of distribution companies — the regional companies known as DISCOs, such as SEPCO in upper Sindh, which serve particular areas. Their staff — line superintendents, SDOs and meter readers — know every pole and connection in their area. When a new wire appears on a high-voltage line, or a shop that has no meter is lit up every evening, it is their job to notice and act.

That is why the Supreme Court’s observation matters. The judges did not accuse any individual official of a crime. They said something simpler and harder to ignore: it is difficult to believe that such a supply could exist without the knowledge of the officials concerned. The implication is clear — either officials are not doing their jobs, or some of them are part of the problem.

Why power theft matters to every Pakistani

Electricity theft is not a victimless crime. It hurts ordinary people in at least four ways.

First, it pushes up bills for honest customers. When a power company loses electricity to theft, it still has to pay for the power it bought and the fuel used to generate it. The losses are passed on to paying customers through higher tariffs and extra charges. In effect, people who pay their bills subsidise the people who do not.

Second, it makes load-shedding worse. Stolen electricity is unplanned electricity. When a transformer or feeder is overloaded by illegal connections it was never designed to carry, it trips or burns out. Whole neighbourhoods then face longer power cuts, and the power company spends money repairing equipment instead of improving supply.

Third, it is dangerous. Illegal wires are usually thin, badly joined and hung without insulation. They sag over streets, shops and homes. When they snap — as the wire did in Larkana in March 2024 — they can kill. Electrocutions from broken wires and overloaded transformers are a regular, grim feature of news reports in Pakistan, especially during the monsoon.

Fourth, it weakens the whole power sector. Distribution companies already struggle with unpaid bills and old infrastructure. When a large share of the electricity they supply is never paid for, their finances get worse, they cannot invest in better networks, and the cycle of losses, high tariffs and theft continues.

WAPDA, DISCOs and who is responsible

For many Pakistanis, “WAPDA” is still the name for the entire electricity system. In fact, the Water and Power Development Authority — WAPDA — no longer distributes electricity. Power distribution is handled by regional distribution companies, the DISCOs, each responsible for a part of the country. SEPCO, for example, supplies Sukkur, Larkana and surrounding districts in Sindh.

But the name has stuck in everyday language, and the Supreme Court’s order was addressed to WAPDA’s chairman — a signal that the top of the power sector should take responsibility for what happens at the bottom. In practice, the officials who can actually stop an illegal connection are the field staff of the local distribution company: the line superintendents, SDOs and meter readers who walk those streets every day.

The court’s direction — that the roles of all those involved should be thoroughly examined by the relevant authorities — puts the focus on both levels: the officials on the ground, and the managers and chairmen above them who are responsible for making sure the rules are enforced.

Crackdowns are already under way

The Supreme Court’s order comes at a time when power companies are already running crackdowns on theft. In Sukkur, SEPCO teams have carried out large-scale operations against illegal connections, disconnecting hundreds of unauthorised hookups, imposing fines on consumers involved in power theft, and recovering outstanding dues. The company has said the campaign will continue until electricity theft is eliminated.

Similar operations take place across the country from time to time, usually after losses spike or a tragedy makes headlines. The problem has always been that crackdowns are temporary. Teams remove the illegal wires, and within weeks or months, many of them are back — because the people who put them up, and the officials who allowed them, face few lasting consequences.

That is what makes the Supreme Court’s intervention different. A court order, sent to the WAPDA chairman, creates a record. It tells the authorities that the highest court in the country is watching, and that the excuse of ignorance — “we did not know” — will not be accepted easily again.

What happens next

The immediate case is over. The petition was withdrawn, the bail stands, and the criminal trial will run its course in the trial court, where the guilt or innocence of the accused will be decided on evidence.

The wider question — whether officials who enable power theft will be held to account — now rests with the authorities the court addressed. The court’s order has been sent to the WAPDA chairman. What follows depends on whether the power companies and the government treat the order as a warning to act, or as paperwork to file away.

For the family in Larkana, the case is personal. A brother died because a wire that should never have been there broke and fell. For the rest of the country, the case is a reminder of a system in which stolen power, silent officials and fatal accidents are connected — and of a court that has now said so out loud.

Frequently asked questions

What did the Supreme Court order about WAPDA and power theft?

The Supreme Court directed that the role of WAPDA and power distribution company officials in electricity theft and the illegal sale of electricity should be thoroughly examined by the relevant authorities, and ordered that a copy of its order be sent to the WAPDA chairman.

What was the case about?

The case concerned an electrocution in Larkana, Sindh. The petitioner, Ali Asghar Khokhar, alleged that a contractor was supplying electricity to shops with the connivance of WAPDA officials. A PVC wire connected to a high-tension line broke on 3 March 2024 and electrocuted his brother, Noor Hussain. The petitioner had asked the court to cancel the pre-arrest bail of accused Anwar Ali Kori, but later withdrew the petition.

Why did the court say officials must have known about the theft?

The court observed that it was difficult to believe electricity could be supplied without the knowledge of WAPDA or the concerned power company and its officials. Illegal connections are visible — wires strung from poles and high-voltage lines — and local field staff are responsible for the area where they appear.

Did the court cancel the accused’s bail?

No. The court found no reason to interfere with the Sindh High Court’s order upholding the bail. It explained that cancelling bail requires showing it was granted illegally or misused — for example, by intimidating witnesses or tampering with evidence. The petition was disposed of as withdrawn.

What is a “kunda” connection?

A kunda is an illegal hook — a wire thrown over a power line or taken directly from a pole or transformer, bypassing the meter. The electricity is used but never billed, and the connection is usually unsafe, with thin wires and poor insulation that can snap and cause electrocution.

How does electricity theft affect honest consumers?

Stolen electricity is paid for by everyone else. Power companies pass their losses on through higher tariffs and extra charges, so paying customers effectively subsidise the theft. Theft also overloads transformers and feeders, causing more load-shedding, and illegal wires are a serious safety hazard.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court’s order is short, but its message is blunt: electricity theft on the scale seen in Pakistan cannot happen without officials knowing. The judges have put that observation on the record and sent it to the top of the power sector.

Whether anything changes now depends on what the authorities do with the order. For the people who pay their bills honestly, and for families like the one in Larkana, the hope is that this time the scrutiny the court demanded reaches the officials who have allowed illegal wires to hang over their streets for so long.

Sources

• Islamabad Post (DNA) — ‘SC calls for scrutiny of WAPDA officials’ role in power theft, illegal electricity supply’ (6 November 2026): https://islamabadpost.com.pk/sc-calls-for-scrutiny-of-wapda-officials-role-in-power-theft-illegal-electricity-supply/
• Sindh High Court caselaw — court record in the Larkana electrocution case: https://caselaw.shc.gov.pk/caselaw/view-file/MjUyNTUy

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.