NA body issues arrest warrants of PSO, Parco MDs

ISLAMABAD: The sub-committee of NA Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, headed by PPP MNA Jamshed Dasti, on Wednesday ordered that arrest warrants be issued against the managing directors of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Pak-Arab Refinery Company (Parco).

He directed the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to take action within 20 days against the strong lobby of unscrupulous elements and some officials of PSO involved in the theft of oil products worth billions of rupees.

In case the ministry fails to do so, then the committee will submit its recommendations to the Supreme Court seeking action against the culprits. In the sub-committee meeting, the Punjab Police said 1,100,000 liters of furnace oil and 20,000 liters of diesel had been stolen from pipelines of PSO and Parco at Muzaffargarh.

The Punjab Police divulged in the meeting that PSO officials were also involved in the huge theft of oil products and it had arrested five PSO officials and recovered Rs 8,500,000. “We have registered eight cases to this effect,” revealed the representative of the Punjab Police. The PSO report said 123,225 liters of oil had been stolen out of which 64,720 liters of petrol had been recovered.

The committee issued the arrest warrants of MDs Parco and PSO stating that 1,600,000 liters of oil was stolen and they were not ready to present themselves in the meeting.Dasti said if proceedings could be initiated against the elected members of parliament, why not against the MDs of both Parco and PSO. If the secretary petroleum did not turn up in the next meeting, then arrest warrants against him would be issued too.

Dasti regretted that the democratic system was failing and his own leadership had failed to correct the system. Dasti said two police officers were also involved in the massive theft of oil. Bashing Dr Asim Hussain without naming him, Dasti said ‘Mr Adviser’ has held the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources hostage. He held Dr Asim Hussain responsible for the CNG crisis in the country.

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