Increase in penalties and imprisonment on power theft as well as introduction of spot metering system would help control growing pilferage of electricity, said Secretary Ministry of Water and Power Muhammad Younus on Monday. Briefing the Senate's Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control about Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill-2013, he said that low penalty was one of the main reasons behind increasing trend of power theft in the country. "Need of the hour is to increase punishment and penalties to overcome the menace of power theft," he opined.
He said that country has been losing over Rs 90 billion every year due to power theft. "So far, 23,000 FIRs have been registered against those involved in power theft, but only three accused have been convicted", he added. Admitting that officials of distribution companies are also involved in power theft, he said: "We are unable to recover 80 per cent electricity dues from Balochistan due to theft," he said.
Younus said that power theft has been declared as non-bailable offence and penalty and punishment have been increased in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2013. As per the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, offences of abstraction or tampering with transmission system have penalty of rigorous imprisonment up to three years and fine up to Rs 10 million. Abstraction or tempering with distribution auxiliary will be punishable with three years imprisonment and fine up to Rs 3m. The offences against interference, improper use or tampering with electric meters by domestic consumers will entail punishment up to two years or fine which may extend to Rs 1m or both, he said.
Elaborating, he said that interference, improper use or tampering with electric meter by industrial or commercial or agricultural consumers will be punishable with imprisonment up to three years or fine up to Rs 6m or both. Besides, offences of damaging or destroying the transmission lines, distribution lines or electric meters have been specified with punishment up to seven years imprisonment and fine, which shall not be less than Rs 3m.
The committee decided to review the bill along with officials of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Ministry of Law and Justice during its next meeting. The committee also directed the Interior and State and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) secretaries and Balochistan's chief secretary to submit a detailed report about the investigation conducted in connection with abduction of two Czech Republic females two years ago within 10 days to the committee.
Briefing the committee about the abduction case, Balochistan's Chaghi district deputy commissioner said that on March 13, 2013, two Czech Republic female tourists - Hana Humplova and Antonie Chrastecka - entered Pakistan through FIA gate at Taftan from Iran. The FIA authorities handed them over to Levies administration in Taftan. Both the female tourists were then taken to a bus stand by a security guard and from Taftan they reached Alam Rek Railway crossing towards Nokundi city.
Alam Pek area is located nearly 15-kilometre away from Nokkundi Town. A Land Cruiser Pick-up resembling FC's Land Cruiser (Pick up) was already parked along the roadside where few armed men stopped the vehicle carrying female tourists. The armed men shifted the security guard and the both Czech females into the Land Cruiser. According to the investigation report, the Land Cruiser was driven towards Taftan and after covering some distance it turned towards Afghanistan.
On receiving the information, the FC's Nokundi officials chased the kidnappers. On their way to Pak-Afghan border, they found the Levies Sepoy Nouroz, who was kidnapped along with Czech tourists after he was freed near the Pak-Afghan border area by the accused. The FC men took the security guard back for investigation.
He said that the kidnappers also released a video of the abductees, demanding release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. The committee also approved Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2007 which was introduced by Senators Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi and Syed Zafar Ali Shah with some amendments.