Pakistan energy giant loses billions in sabotage acts

ISLAMABAD, October 06 (Internews): Fourteen major acts of sabotage were carried out against the installations of Pakistan’s state-owned power giant Wapda throughout the country in the first eight months of this year, causing a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer, official sources revealed Monday.

Wapda installations in Balochistan suffered the worst damage. The province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is in the grip of a separatist insurgency. Fourteen such militant attacks on Wapda installations during the period from January to August this year speaks volumes about the worsening law and order in the country.

According to an official document, the attacks started taking place as early as the second day of the new year, when unidentified militants carried out two major sabotage attacks at the 500-KV Jamshoro-NKI and 500-KV Jamshoro-Hub Circuit installations, causing damage of millions of rupees.

On March 18, the 132kV Sibi-Mach Circuit Number 1 installation was attacked, while on March 22 terrorists blew up the 220kV Sheikh Muhammadi-Daudkhel circuits number 2 and 3.

The 132kV Quetta Industrial Grid Station and the 132kV Hamai-Dukhi and Hamain Loralai circuits were targeted on April 2 and 10 respectively.

The highest number of attacks occurred in May. Four Wapda installations — the 500kV Tarbela-Sheikh Muhammadi Circuit (May 12), 132kV Ratodero Grid Station Circuit (May 14), 132kV Rakhni-Barkhan Circuit (May 30) and 220kV Uch-Shikarpur Circuit (May 31) — were targeted.

Two more installations were attacked in June. They were the 220kV Sibi-Guddu Circuit and Sibi-Uch Circuit Number 603 (June 9) and the 66kV Shahdadkot Grid Station Circuit (June 29).

Militants struck twice on the very first day of July, damaging the 220kV New Multan-NGPS Circuits Number 1 and 2.

In the 14th major sabotage activity against Wapda installations during 2008, terrorists destroyed the 500kV Tarbela-Sheikh Muhammadi Circuit on August 8, causing loss worth billions of rupees to the national exchequer besides disrupting the power supply to consumers and the industrial sector.

The gas supply network has also been frequently targeted by militants, disrupting gas supply to parts of the country.

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