Court announces first-ever conviction in gas theft case

The first-ever conviction for the theft of natural gas was handed down by a judge of a Gas Utility Court in Karachi West on Thursday.

According to a press release issued by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), the gas court announced a five-year prison sentence to Mohammad Shafique, the owner of Pakwan Centre in Peerabad, Pak Colony, along with a fine of Rs50,000 under the Gas (Theft Control and Recovery) Act, 2016.

The SSGC’s Security Services, Counter Gas Theft Operations and SSGC Police had conducted a raid on Pakwan Centre a few months ago and arrested Shafique for being involved in the direct use of gas. An FIR was registered against the accused and the SSGC’s prosecution wing led by retired major Ayaz Khan pursued the case to its end, the statement added.

As per the communiqué, the SSGC is determined to ensure that efficient prosecution continues in the future so that the culprits engaged in gas theft can be tried in court. “Gas theft is a major factor behind Unaccounted-for-Gas (UFG) or line losses that has severely impacted the financial bottom-line of both SSGC and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited,” it added.