TUESDAY JULY 26: Oil and gas thieves to face maximum jail term: Cabinet likely to approve proposal on July 27

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday (tomorrow) with Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, in the chair, is strongly expected to approve a proposal of the Petroleum Ministry not to spare gas/oil thieves and send them to jail.
Oil and natural gas (petroleum) are a vital national asset, which contributes around 80 per cent to the total energy supply mix of the country. Currently, both oil and gas sectors are facing the menace of oil and gas theft/tampering/pilferage along with subversive activities damaging their infrastructure including main and auxiliary pipelines. These unlawful means are not only inflicting serious financial losses to the government, but are a source of potential threat to the public life and property.
According to official documents obtained from the Cabinet Division, presently, there is no specific law, which totally bars oil and gas theft. All such cases are registered under section 379 of Pakistan Penal Code but the quantum of punishment thereunder is not enough to deter the culprits in one go. Necessary legislation is required to check this ever-increasing menace to safeguard the public interests and property and national exchequer.
For the reason, it is considered essential to amend Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to make the offences like tampering oil and gas pipelines, damaging and causing destruction to oil and gas pipelines and theft of oil and gas liable to punishment of imprisonment and imposition of fine commensurate with the gravity of the offence by insertion of a new chapter namely "Chapter XVIIA" in Pakistan Penal Code, 1860(XKV of 1860).
Salient features of the draft bill are as follows:
(i) any person committing offence of tampering with main petroleum pipelines will face rigorous imprisonment up to 14 years and fine up to Rs 10 million; (ii) any person committing offence of tampering with auxiliary or distribution pipeline will face rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years and fine up to Rs 3 million; (c) any person committing offence of tampering with gas meter, etc, shall be punishable; (a) in case of domestic consumer, imprisonment up to six months and fine up to Rs 10,000 and; (b) in case of industrial or commercial consumer, imprisonment to 3 years and fine up to Rs 1 million and ;(d) any person committing offence of damaging or destroying the transmission or transportation pipelines by explosive material or in any other manner will face rigorous imprisonment up to 14 years and with fine which shall not be less than Rs 1 million.
Keeping in view the criminal nature of some of the offences, the consent of the Ministry of Interior was also solicited in this matter, which gave no objection for the making of the proposed amendments in PPC and CrPC. In view of the fact that the subject of PPC and CrPC has not been allocated to any ministry so far, the Cabinet Division has authorised the Ministry of Petroleum to submit summary to the cabinet in its next meeting. Accordingly, the draft bill, 2011 amending PPC and CrPC duly vetted by the Ministry of Law will be introduced in either house of the Parliament, the document concluded.