BAHAWALPUR: As many as 33 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered against electricity thieves within last 24 hours in Bahawalpur district, said Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa, who also heads the power theft task force.

According to the DC, police had been moved with as many as eighty applications for registration of power theft FIRs. Of these, ten each FIRs were registered against electricity thieves in the tehsils of Bahawalpur Sadar and Ahmedpur East.

He said the task force has also filed complaints to register two FIRs under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) against two suspects -- Rana Muhammad Asif and Khalilur Rehman -- of Shahdra sub-division, Bahawalpur region of the Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco).

He said the suspects were involved in stealing electricity from main supply line through direct hooks and attempted to attack the Mepco’s raiding teams and hurled life threats at the officials when they caught them red-handed.

Meanwhile, a Mepco press release said that in Jatoi village, two suspects -- Ghulam Shabear Gopang and Nasrullah Gopang -- who are associated with a former MNA, were nabbed for power theft, while brother of Punjab Assembly candidate Chaudhry Maqsood Akhtar was caught stealing electricity directly from the main line.

It says the PA candidate himself is a defaulter of Mepco as he had to pay Rs0.365 million dues to the company.

The company claims that on Sept 10, as many as 229 consumers were caught stealing electricity and were slapped with a total fine of Rs14.7 million for stealing 0.352m power units.

It added that in Bahawalpur 20 power thieves were fined Rs1.235m.

GAS THEFT: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) caught four gas thieves red-handed in a crackdown across Bahawalpur Region’s three districts -- Bahawalpur ,Bahawalnagar and Rahimyarkhan.

According to Regional Manager Rumman Omar, the SNGPL task force carried out raids in Baghdad Colony, Chishtian in Bahawalnagar district, Khanqah Shareef in Bahawalpur district, Aminabad in Liquatpur city of Rahim Yar Khan district and Hyder Colony, Sadiqabad, catching suspects Abdul Ghaffar, Hassan, Shakoor and an unidentified man red-handed while stealing gas and supplying it to their neighbours as well through an underground network.

He said three FIRS had been lodged against the gas pilferers, who were yet to be arrested by police.

He added that the task force also removed 35 illegal gas connections, in addition to seizing several gas compressors. He said legal action would also be taken against those using compressors.

He urged the public to inform the company about gas thieves, assuring that the names of informers would be kept confidential.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2023