The power supply to four housing projects in Bahria Town Lahore has been disconnected after the housing developer failed to clear outstanding electricity bills amounting to more than Rs682 million, officials confirmed on Friday.
The abrupt shutdown has sparked outrage among residents, who have announced a protest demonstration outside Bahria Town offices following Friday prayers.
According to Muhammad Ramzan Butt, Chief Executive Officer of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), Bahria Town repeatedly failed to meet multiple extended deadlines for bill payment.
“They have failed to pay a total of Rs682 million on four bulk power supply connections,” the Lesco chief said.
“We will not restore the power supply till the bills have been paid,” he added, making the utility’s stance clear.
Lesco initially set November 21 as the deadline for payments, which was later extended to November 23 upon Bahria Town’s request. However, the developer sought repeated extensions until November 26, and despite being given a final deadline of November 27, the dues remained unpaid.
Before any court intervention could take place—following Bahria Town’s reported legal move—Lesco disconnected electricity to the four defaulting projects.
Breakdown of Outstanding Dues:
- Bahria Town PVT LTD: Rs530m+
- Bahria Orchard: Rs137m
- Bahria Education City: Rs5.465m
- M/S Kingrete Associates (another Bahria project): Rs2.70m
Lesco has assured that electricity will be restored immediately after all dues are cleared.
Residents in Distress
Residents expressed deep frustration over the prolonged outage, saying daily life has become extremely difficult.
“We have been without electricity since yesterday evening,” said Fayyaz Ahmad, a Bahria Town resident.
“The food in the refrigerator has spoiled. It feels like we are living in a jungle—no electricity and no warm water.”
Some residents, like Ahmad, have had to temporarily move to relatives’ homes due to the deteriorating living conditions.
Not the First Time
This is not the first incident of Bahria Town Lahore facing electricity disconnections.
In 2024, Lesco disconnected power over unpaid bills exceeding Rs762 million.
Moreover, Bahria Town has faced criticism in its Islamabad operations as well—where residents filed petitions last year against overbilling and deductions on solar-generated electricity.
