KARACHI, Dec 9: Keeping in view the increasing incidents of cable theft in the city, the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has established a “Security Vigilance Committee South” to be headed by a colonel.
This PTCL body in collaboration with the area police will hunt down cable thieves in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Pak Capital, Orangi, Korangi, Site, New Karachi and Nazimabad.
An organised group of cable thieves is reportedly involved in the theft and sale of copper used in the telephone cables. According to the PTCL, a few days ago two 1,200-pair cable along with joint and four coil cables were stolen from Gulshan-i-Iqbal Telephone Exchange.
On Thursday afternoon, a few staff members of the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Telephone Exchange were alerted after noticing plumes of smoke, with the smell of burning of cables, billowing from the premises of an under construction building near the telephone exchange.
Earlier, the PTCL staff had also reported pieces of cable strewn around the same building.
Subsequently, the Assistant Engineer (development), Tariq Nasir, and Senior Engineer Mazharuddin Mangi informed the relevant police officials and the vigilance committee conducted a raid and reportedly caught the watchman of the building in question red-handed with pieces of the stolen telephone cables and copper. The watchman has been identified as Ghulam Yaseen. An FIR ( 634/07) was lodged against the suspect on Dec 6.
During investigation Ghulam Yaseen not only confessed of having committed the crime but also revealed the names of his associates Waheed Shah, a former employee of the PTCL and Maqsood Baloch, a wireman employed at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Telephone Exchange. Later, the police caught Maqsood Baloch and initiated steps to catch other culprits.
The PTCL management took serious notice of the incident and warned that if the allegations proved true strict action including termination from service as well as recovery of the PTCL losses would be taken against the culprits.
The PTCL EVP (Business), South, Rehmatullah, lauded the efforts of the watchman of the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Exchange, Dil Bahar and said that the PTCL was proud of such loyal employees. He announced commendation certificate and cash reward for the watchman’s efforts in busting the gang.
He urged all the employees to keep an eye on PTCL installations and asked them to immediately report any suspicious activity to the vigilance committee.
