Power thieves thrash Pesco workers in Badhber.

PESHAWAR -- Power thieves took hostage a team of anti-power theft taskforce of Peshawar Electric Supply Company and thrashed its members in Badhber suburban area of Peshawar on Thursday.

According to a Pesco statement, its team was made hostage by a group of consumers during the ongoing campaign for recovery of arrears and curbing power theft and thrashed the employees when they were busy cutting illegal connections.

It said that the main suspect was identified as Mohammad Irfan who was accompanied by five other accomplices. The Pesco employees were set free after intervention by the district administration.

The police have registered an FIR against six persons over illegal direct connections and taking hostage the Pesco team along with a sub-divisional officer. It was stated that the accused persons had been avoiding clearing their dues of about Rs.2.2 million. Police said that two of the accused had been arrested.

Meanwhile, the anti-power theft taskforce on Thursday cut off 281 commercial and domestic...