Slipping through: Govt admits oil and gas pilferage worth billions from Karak

Lawmakers claim large-scale theft was carried out in connivance with district administration, police

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday admitted pilferage amounting to Rs15 to 20 billion from an oil and gas pipeline in Karak district.

The issue was raised on a point of order in the provincial assembly by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Nighat Orakzai. She told the house the thieves reportedly backed by the district administration, police and politicians managed to pilfer from an oil and gas pipeline in Makori area of Karak. “They were stealing about 100,000 litres of crude oil per day for a period extending up to eight months in Karak.”

Orakzai claimed oil worth Rs10 billion was stolen, while gas was also wasted during the said period. “Total losses amount to Rs15 to Rs20 billion and the police, district administration and politicians were behind this,” she said on the floor of the house.

The PPP MPA said an FIR has been registered, but the government has done nothing in this regard so far. She maintained the stolen oil was sold to petrol pumps in the area.

Adviser to chief minister on prisons and MPA from Karak, Malik Qasim Khan Khattak, backed Orakzai’s assertions, saying the pilferage took place on a large scale with all concerned high-ups aware of it. He said 25 vehicles were filled with crude oil each night. Khattak called for the constitution of a house committee to investigate the matter and punish those responsible for the theft.

K-P Minister for Energy and Power Muhammad Atif Khan also called for an investigation by an officer of the chief secretary level.

He said the MOL oil company informed the department that pressure in the gas pipeline stood at 50 pounds per square inch (PSI). To break into the pipeline at this pressure and to fill tanks was not an ordinary task, he added. He called for accountability across the board of those involved in the theft.

Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser called for an investigation through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and K-P Ehtisab Commission. He asked both the treasury and opposition benches to draft a joint resolution on the subject to be passed by the house.

Hepatitis treatment

Senior Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai informed the house the province was facing a shortage of interferon injections as the company responsible for providing it was caught up in litigation. He said Rs80 to 90 million of the government’s money stood blocked with the company, which has now said it will return the money.

Tarakai added the government was planning to shift towards newly-developed tablets for hepatitis.

The issue was raised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) lawmaker from Buner, Mufti Fazal Ghafoor, who told the house there are about 1,300 hepatitis patients in his district and urged the minister to arrange medication for them immediately.

Responding to a question, Muhammad Atif Khan informed the house the K-P government has initiated the process of hiring 5,515 teachers in the province. “The government has advertised these vacancies and started the hiring process,” he added.

The session was later adjourned till Monday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2014.