PM Orders National Renewable Energy Plan and Crackdown on Power Theft

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive national renewable energy plan while simultaneously ordering tougher enforcement action against power theft, in a significant policy intervention targeting two of the most persistent challenges in Pakistan's energy sector.

The directive on renewable energy comes amid growing pressure to reduce Pakistan's reliance on expensive imported fuel for power generation and to lower the circular debt burden that continues to strain the national exchequer. A structured renewable transition plan would mark a major shift in energy procurement strategy with lasting fiscal implications.

On power theft, the Prime Minister's instruction reflects mounting frustration at the scale of losses sustained by distribution companies, which contribute directly to the high cost of electricity for paying consumers and the sector's structural insolvency. Enforcement campaigns have been launched repeatedly in the past with mixed results, making the credibility of this latest directive dependent on follow-through at the institutional level.

The twin directives signal an intent to address both the supply and loss sides of Pakistan's energy equation simultaneously, though policy observers note that durable reform will require legislative backing, regulatory alignment, and sustained political will beyond executive instruction.