ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday ordered immediate disciplinary proceedings against underperforming staff and officers in the power distribution companies (Discos) in relation to the resolution of consumer complaints.

The Power Division said the directives were issued by Power Minister Awais Leghari after a comprehensive review of complaint-handling performance data extracted from the Customer Complaint Management System (CCMS+) — Pakistan’s national 118 call centre — for the period from Oct 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

The data, encompassing complaints related to power outages, voltage fluctuations, line faults, and transformer tripping, revealed a deeply alarming pattern of neglect, the Power Division said, adding tens of thousands of consumer complaints registered during the review period were either resolved late or left unattended within the stipulated resolution windows, directly resulting in prolonged electricity disruptions for citizens across urban and rural areas alike.

The Power Division identified the worst-performing officers in each Disco based on complaints resolved late within their respective jurisdictions and formally communicated these lists to the Chief Executives of all Discos for immediate departmental action against sub-divisional officers (SDOs) and Executive Engineers (Xens).

Acting swiftly on the directives, Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) initiated disciplinary action — including suspension — against their worst-performing officers for failing to resolve consumer complaints. All remaining Discos across Pakistan are in the process of initiating similar actions, it said.

The power minister expressed grave disappointment over the failure of the identified officers to fulfil their primary duty of ensuring timely redressal of consumer complaints. He said the CCMS+ was established specifically to bridge the gap between citizens and electricity service providers, and that any officer treating this system with indifference was directly undermining the government’s commitment to consumer welfare.

He directed that disciplinary proceedings — including suspension where warranted — be initiated against all identified officers without delay and concluded in a time-bound manner under the applicable service rules.

Pesco has suspended three SDOs and one Xen with immediate effect on account of misconduct, citing failure to meet prescribed performance targets as reflected in CCMS+ data.

Likewise, Sepco has suspended one SDO and one Xen (former) with immediate effect on account of misconduct as worst performers in resolution of complaints at 118.

The Power Division said the accountability drive was not limited to Pesco and Sepco. All other Discos — including Lesco, Gepco, Fesco, Iesco, Mepco, Hazeco, Hesco, Qesco, and Tesco — are in the process of initiating disciplinary proceedings against their respective worst-performing officers.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026