Penalties prescribed: Senate passes legislation against gas theft

Also denounces Peshawar attack and urges stringent security measures


Peer Muhammad December 27, 2014

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday adopted a piece of legislation aimed at curtailing gas theft and speeding up the recovery process of gas dues.

The Gas Theft Control and Recovery Bill 2014 will now be sent to the National Assembly for approval. The legislation provides a procedure for prosecution of cases of gas theft and other related offences and also provides a procedure for expeditious recovery of billing amount, dues, value of gas, fines, penalties and other outstanding amounts payable to gas utility companies

Under the new legislation, the government will constitute gas utility courts. Any person found guilty of purposefully causing damage to the gas supply line shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to 14 years but shall not be less than seven years and with fine which shall not be less than Rs1 million, the bill stated.

Debate on Peshawar attack

The upper house of parliament continued its debate on the recent terrorist attack in Peshawar.

While taking part in the debate, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid said the attack on the Army Public School was “an assault on Pakistan’s future and an eye opener urging every Pakistani to play his or her role in coping with the challenging situation”.

He said the government wasted a whole year by not enforcing the internal security policy, which it had announced a year back. He lamented that though the country was in a state of war, there was no counter terrorism policy in place.

The senator suggested there should be a permanent oversight parliamentary committee to monitor the implementation of the joint action committee’s recommendations. “It is the first time that the narrative of good and bad Taliban and concept of the strategic depth has been buried,” said Mushahid.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Muhammad Hamza criticised his own government for what he described its failure to take concrete steps against those who were behind the carnage in Peshawar.



“It is the responsibility of the government to tell the people as to what it is doing to punish those who have butchered our new generation,” said Hamza. “I condemn this attitude of our government.”

Senator Saeeda Iqbal of the Pakistan Peoples Party said that Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Aziz and his followers announced a rebellion against the state by openly inviting ISIS but the government has done nothing against them. “Instead of putting Aziz behind bars, the government has provided armed guards to him,” she maintained.

Senator Zahid Khan of the Awami National Party called for stern action against proscribed outfits for eliminating terrorism. Denouncing the gruesome incident in Peshawar, he said “The federal and provincial governments should fulfil their responsibilities to protect lives and properties of the people.”

Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Saeed Ghani said the national consensus is necessary to root out terrorism and government should refrain from steps which can undermine the solidarity expressed by the opposition parties in the wake of the Peshawar tragedy.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2014.

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