Phone lines of over 8,000 people were cut off after a 100-metre-long underground copper cable was stolen on Thursday night.
The cable, which was installed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), was stolen from near Chungi No 11 on Khanpur Road, disconnecting phone lines and internet connections of residents of Pathan Colony and Railway Road.
Aside from inconveniencing business community and students who use internet via the landline connections, the theft has caused loss of “millions of rupees” to the phone company, said PTCL Haripur union office bearers, who staged a protest against the police for failing to prevent such incidents. They dispersed after getting reassurances from the local administration.
PTCL Haripur Union President Chanzeb Qureshi said that despite police patrolling, such incidents of cable theft have become frequent. He said the company has lodged numerous FIRs against such cable thieves during the past two months alone but no one has been arrested so far. “Thieves managing to cut underground cables from manholes situated along busy roads is a cause of concern,” he added.
The police said they have arrested a junk dealer from Pathan Colony for his involvement in the crime, adding that he is being investigated.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2012.
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