Bill to curb oil and gas theft passed by NA

NAVEED BUTT

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday passed "The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2011" to curb the theft of oil and gas in the country with maximum punishment of 14-year jail and Rs10 million fine to the person involved in the crime.

The Bill describes about Tampering with petroleum pipelines, etc. - "(1) Any person who wilfully tampers or attempts to tamper or abets in tampering with a facility, installation or main pipeline for transmission or transportation, as the case may be, of petroleum, is said to commit tampering with petroleum pipelines.

(2) Any person who tampers or abets in tampering with petroleum pipelines for the purpose of,-

(a)theft of petroleum; or

(b)disrupting supply of petroleum,

shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to fourteen years but shall not be less than seven years and with fine which may extend to ten million rupees."

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah presented the Bill in the Lower House of the Parliament. The House passed the Bill with minor amendment presented by Zahid Hamid of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

According to statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, in order to maintain and ensure the smooth supply of oil and gas and functioning of the oil and gas pipelines and facilities akin thereto, it is expedient to create a comprehensive legislative instrument which can curb the practices of oil and gas theft and pilferage and abuse of lawful connections of oil and gas through numerous means, to provide for adequate punishment proportionate with the gravity of offences, to halt damage or destruction of oil and gas pipelines by acts of subversion and to protect the assets of national significance which are duly defined herein, this law is hereby enacted.

According to this Bill, new amendment about offence relating to oil and gas etc would be made in the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898.

The Bill further says about 462C Tampering with auxiliary or distribution pipelines of petroleum - (1) Any person who wilfully tampers or attempts to tamper or abets in tampering with any auxiliary or distribution pipeline of petroleum not being a main transmission and transportation pipeline but includes a distribution system, distribution pipeline or any other related system and equipment, as the case may be, of petroleum is said to commit tampering with auxiliary or distribution pipelines of petroleum.

(2)Any person who tampers or abets in tampering with auxiliary or distribution pipeline of petroleum for the purpose of,

(a)theft of petroleum; or

(b)disrupting supply of petroleum, "shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to ten years but shall not be less than five years and with fine which may extend to three million rupees."

About 462D Tampering with gas meter by domestic consumer, etc:- the Bill says that "any person or individual being the domestic consumer who tampers or abets in tampering with any gas meter, regulator, meter index or gas connection or any other related system and equipment, whether to commit theft of gas or for the purpose of unauthorised distribution or supply of gas shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or fine which may extend to Rs100,000 or both.

462E about tampering with gas meter by industrial or commercial consumer, etc:- the Bill says that "Any person or individual being industrial or commercial consumer who tampers or abets in tampering with any gas meter, regulator, meter index or gas connection or any other related system and equipment, whether to commit theft of gas or for the purpose of unauthorised distribution or supply of gas shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to ten years but shall not be less than five years or fine which may extend to Rs 5 million or both.