President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President All Karachi Industrial Alliance (AKIA), Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday lauded the decision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan to nail gas thieves. The countrywide operation is laudable but incomplete unless action is initiated in the district of Karak and adjoining areas, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that Prime Minister has directed the authorities to take actions against personnel of gas companies who are facilitating in gas theft which is a commendable move.
Talking to the business community, he said that people involved in the theft of gas cannot be discouraged unless the officials of the gas companies are taken to the task as Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited and Sui Southern Gas Company have claimed that they are facing the loss of worth Rs45 billion to theft, leakage and other reasons. He said that gas over Rs10 billion is stolen in the Karak alone in which domestic, commercial and industrial consumers are involved while district administration and police have never taken a serious action against offenders which has encouraged them.
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The veteran business leader said that sometimes FIRs are registered due to the efforts of gas companies and FIA but it is not enough to deter the wrongdoers.
The former minister noted that large quantities of oil was also stolen in Karak and 75 FIRs were registered but to no avail despite the interest of Standing Committees on oil and gas. He demanded a merciless operation against gas thieves so that the gas sector circular debt and frequent tariff hike could be controlled. The policy of gas companies to keep names of the big fish involved in gas theft should be changed without delay, he said.