ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari has directed strict monitoring of the performance of power distribution companies (DISCOs), warning that negligence in resolving consumer complaints would not be tolerated.
The minister chaired a review meeting on the performance of the Helpline 118 Customer Care Service, which provides consumers with a free and direct channel to register electricity-related complaints without involving intermediaries.
The service allows consumers to lodge complaints in seven languages, track their status and receive feedback after resolution. Complaints that remain unresolved beyond the prescribed timeframe are automatically escalated to the relevant authority.
The meeting reviewed the performance of all DISCOs, including the number of complaints received, timely resolution and cases resolved after the stipulated deadline.
Officials said approximately 1.64 million complaints were registered through Helpline 118 in August 2026, of which 99.18 percent were resolved. Of the resolved complaints, 94.95 percent were addressed within the prescribed timeframe, while 5.05 percent were resolved after the deadline.
Leghari directed DISCOs to ensure strict compliance with the timelines prescribed by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for resolving different categories of complaints.
The meeting also reviewed complaints related to power outages, line faults and voltage issues, which together accounted for around 77 percent of total complaints. The minister emphasised the need for their timely resolution.
The CEOs of all DISCOs were directed to continuously monitor complaint resolution and take action against officials responsible for delays. The CEO of QESCO informed the meeting that show-cause notices had been issued to 38 SDOs over negligence in resolving complaints within the prescribed timeframe.
Leghari said Helpline 118 should be developed into an effective, transparent and reliable platform that enables consumers to directly lodge complaints, track their progress and obtain timely resolutions.
He added that the government would also review options to strengthen DISCO performance monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure measurable improvements in customer care services.
