HYDERABAD: Local officials of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) have refused to lodge an FIR against theft of about 400 to 500 meters long cable valued at Rs200,000 to 300,000 in market following its recovery by Latifabad police.

Personnel of B-section police station picked up one Ainuddin on charge of purchasing the cable from one Imran. Police arrested both the accused on Saturday night near PTCL’s central telephone exchange.

SPO Anwar Durrani said that he had been in touch with PTCL officials over the issue but none of them has come forward to register the case.

Quoting PTCL officials, Durrani said the cable might be worth Rs80,000 to Rs100,000 while sources in PTCL said it could be worth Rs300,000 to 400,000.

“I also met directors Shahmir Lund and Muzaffar Sheikh. RGM Raheem Shaikh was on line with us during the meeting but they all said that neither they have any complaint about theft of the cable nor they have any system related compliant that could make them believe that the cable has been stolen from any of PTCL installations,” Durrani told Dawn over phone.

He said that his meeting with them on Monday lasted several hours and he told the officials that while the cable might not be stolen from their system installation but there was a possibility that it might have been misappropriated during development work.

“Officials did agree that it was PTCL’s cable …but they are not prepared to come forward to lodge a formal FIR in absence of any internal complaint from any worker or officer,” he said.

He said that the accused had been released on bail and the matter would be dispose of.

PTCL’s regional general manager (RGM) Abdul Raheem Shaikh’s was out of contact. His cell phone went unattended whenever this scribe tried to contact him.

PTCL sources said that its was 600 pairs cable exclusively used by PTCL and known as armoured PE cable and it had been misappropriated by those who dealt in development section of the department.

They said that local officials had hushed up the matter on their own.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/28/2010