How to Report Gas Theft or an Illegal Gas Connection to SNGPL or SSGC in Pakistan

Short answer: To report gas theft or an illegal gas connection, call 1199, which both SNGPL and SSGC list as their helpline, or use the online complaint form. SNGPL's form has a complaint type called "Gas Theft / Violation Of Contract". Give the exact address and what you saw. The law lets a court impose up to 14 years in prison for gas theft by tampering.

A meter that never seems to move. A steel pipe dug in from the main line. A generator running on natural gas in a cold store. These are the kinds of cases that gas companies and the courts deal with.

We opened SNGPL's complaint form and SSGC's contact pages on 12 October 2026 and read a Sindh High Court order on a gas theft case. We did not file a report ourselves. This is general information, not legal advice.

SNGPL has a gas theft complaint type, and both companies list 1199

SNGPL's online form lists "Gas Theft / Violation Of Contract" as a complaint type. SSGC's pages list 1199 and 99021000 as its phone lines, and info@ssgc.com.pk as its email. SNGPL lists 1199 and customerservices@sngpl.com.pk.

SSGC's complaint pages carry a note that the page was last updated in 2020, so confirm its email before you rely on it. The phone line is the safer first step.

What counts as gas theft

The Gas (Theft Control and Recovery) Act, 2016 defines tampering as interfering with the flow or metering of gas by unauthorised entry into the metering system or the lines, by breaking seals, or by interfering with the meter or line in any way.

In practice that covers a bypass around the meter, a connection straight from the main line, and a meter or regulator that has been opened. A gas compressor or booster fitted to a household line is widely reported as banned. We did not find that rule on the SNGPL or SSGC pages we read, so ask the company if you are unsure.

Report only what you can see. Do not accuse a named neighbour in public.

The penalty under the 2016 Act

A Sindh High Court order of 10 August 2020 says theft of gas by tampering with a pipeline is an offence under Section 14 of the 2016 Act, punishable with up to 14 years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 10 million. We read that in the court's order, not in the Act itself.

The same order concerns an SSGC team that found an unauthorised generator running on natural gas at a poultry farm and cold store. A police case was registered under Sections 15, 17 and 24 of the Act. We did not read how that case ended, so it is only an example of how such a case begins.

How to make the report, step by step

Give the company a clear address and a plain description. Write down the date and time you saw the problem. Do not touch any pipe or meter, and do not photograph a person. The aim is for a gas company team to find the spot, not for you to confront the user.

1. Write down the full address, the street, a landmark and the house or plot number.
2. Note what you saw: a pipe from the main line, a bypassed meter, a compressor or a generator on gas.
3. Call 1199 or open the company's complaint form.
4. On SNGPL's form, pick the complaint type Gas Theft / Violation Of Contract, then your district and city.
5. Save the complaint number. Track it on SNGPL's tracking page, or call back and quote the number.
6. If nothing happens, take it to the regulator, OGRA, as in our guide on SNGPL and SSGC gas complaints.

Your name and safety

SNGPL's form asks for your name, phone, mobile and email. We found no statement on the page that your identity is kept secret. Do not assume you are anonymous. Report from a safe place and avoid arguments with the person you are reporting.

For a gas smell or a leak, treat it as an emergency and call 1199 from outside the building. Our guide on getting a gas meter checked or changed covers meter problems that are not theft.

Common questions

Can I report gas theft by a neighbour?

Yes. Call 1199 or use the company's complaint form and give the address and what you saw. The company decides what action to take.

Will my name be kept secret?

We cannot promise that. SNGPL's form asks for your name and contact details and we found no privacy statement on it. Keep your report factual.

What is the penalty for gas theft?

A Sindh High Court order says Section 14 of the Gas (Theft Control and Recovery) Act, 2016 allows up to 14 years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 10 million for theft by tampering with a pipeline.

Is using a gas compressor illegal?

It is widely reported as banned for household lines. We did not find the rule on the company pages we read. Ask SNGPL or SSGC in writing before you fit one.

Does gas theft affect my own gas bill?

Unauthorised use takes gas that paying customers need, and the lost gas is a cost for the system. We cannot say how it changes any one bill. Your bill problems should go through the company's normal complaint route, as in our guide on estimated and minimum gas bills.

Who regulates SNGPL and SSGC?

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) regulates both companies, and you can take a complaint to it after the company has had its chance.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We opened SNGPL's complaint form at sngpl.com.pk and SSGC's complaint and contact pages at ssgc.com.pk on 12 October 2026, and read a Sindh High Court order dated 10 August 2020. We did not read the 2016 Act itself, so its penalty is quoted from the court order.