Gas Theft: ‘Record petitioners’ statement’

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge directed the Baghbanpura SHO on Saturday to record the petitioners’ statement and proceed in accordance with law on 9 of 79 petitions filed by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) officials seeking cases against those caught stealing gas. The SNGPL says that the accused were not only stealing gas but also supplying it to more than 400 consumers. At a previous hearing, the judge had directed the SHO to record the petitioners’ statement on 27 petitions. Sharafat Ali Chaudhry, Waqas Bukhari, Iftikhar Akbar and other SNGPL officials had filed the petitions on the company’s behalf. They said most of the suspects were stealing gas for their factories. They said three of them – Muhammad Amanat, Muhammad Asif, Masroor Ahmed – were not only stealing the fuel but also supplying it to other consumers. The petitioners said they had disconnected the supply, and repaired the lines. They said the thieves had inflicted a heavy loss on the SNGPL. They said they had requested the SHO to take action against them but he had done nothing in this regard. They requested the court to direct the SHO to register an FIR against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2016.