In a major step to curb electricity theft across the country, the Power Division has decided to shuffle field officers across multiple levels.

The division has issued instructions to all distribution companies in the country to change theri field officers from grades 17 to 19.

A statement from the ministry said that the a total of 1,500 officers will be shuffled across the country and the process should be completed by Friday evening.

The objective of the step is to move officers who have been working in the same area for multiple years. The officers will be moved to different circles.

The changes will apply to executive engineers, superintendant engineers and sub-divisional officers.

The step comes as the government tries to grapple with crisis over electricity bills. Protests had broken out across Pakistan after people across the country received high electricity bills.

As it tries to negotiate some sort of releief with the International Monetary Fund, the government has stressed that it will find ways to improve billing recoveries and crack down on theft.