LESCO Staff Suspended After Khawaja Asif Bribery Claim
Three employees of the Lahore Electric Supply Company have been suspended after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif publicly raised allegations of bribery linked to the repair and replacement of a village transformer. The development emerged in Lahore on Sunday, placing fresh scrutiny on utility staff conduct and public complaints over electricity services.
According to the report, the suspended officials include Line Superintendent Muhammad Hussain and linemen Shaukat and Falak Sher from the Phool Nagar Division. The action was taken after the minister claimed on social media that villagers were allegedly forced to pay Rs80,000 for transformer-related work without receiving any official receipt.
The issue began after a transformer reportedly burned out in the village of one of Khawaja Asif’s domestic employees. The minister said he contacted a senior LESCO official for help, after which staff repaired the transformer but allegedly collected money from local residents through donations. His social media post can be viewed at https://x.com/KhawajaMAsif/status/2060790268518146090.
LESCO’s local Executive Engineer presented a different account, saying a 100-kilowatt transformer was being installed after a 200-kilowatt transformer had failed. The official said he personally visited Chak 27 to review the situation but was not given evidence proving that LESCO personnel had directly received the alleged payment.
Sources within the power company said a private person identified as Shabbir had collected money from residents and was not an employee of the electricity utility. They said the company is examining whether any staff member had a role in the alleged payment, whether money was collected in LESCO’s name and why the matter escalated into a public controversy.
The suspension of the three employees does not amount to a final finding of guilt but indicates that the utility has moved to open a formal departmental process. On the direction of LESCO’s chief executive, the Directorate of Surveillance and Inspection has started a high-level inquiry to determine responsibility and verify the minister’s allegation.
The case has drawn attention because electricity consumers across Pakistan frequently complain about delays, informal payments, weak complaint handling and lack of transparency in local utility operations. Transformer repairs and replacements are especially sensitive in rural and peri-urban areas, where power outages can disrupt households, tube wells, shops and small businesses.
For LESCO, the controversy comes at a time when distribution companies face pressure to improve service delivery, reduce losses and rebuild consumer confidence. Even unproven allegations of bribery can damage public trust when citizens believe they must pay unofficial charges to secure basic electricity restoration.
The matter also carries wider governance significance because a federal minister’s public complaint has forced swift administrative action. It highlights how social media posts by public officials can trigger inquiries, suspensions and institutional responses much faster than routine consumer complaints filed through formal channels.
The inquiry is expected to determine whether the payment claim is supported by witnesses, receipts, phone records or other evidence. Until the investigation concludes, LESCO will remain under pressure to explain the transformer episode clearly and ensure that any official found involved in misconduct faces appropriate disciplinary action.