KOHAT: The local lawmakers and administration officials have lost their patience with the oil and gas companies for their continued refusal to improve low gas pressure, provide jobs to people and release the promised funds for development projects.

Taking strong notice of refusal to fulfill their promises by the Hungarian oil and gas development company, MOL, SNGPL and the cement factory, the lawmakers summoned the companies’ representatives to the deputy commissioner house here on Monday to discuss the problems.

The meeting was attended by the provincial law minister Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, MNA Shehryar Afridi, district development advisory committee chairman Ziaullah Bangash, deputy commissioner Riaz Mehsud and assistant commissioner Mohammad Ali Asghar.

On the occasion, Ziaullah Bangash alleged that the SNGPL was not solving the problem of low gas pressure under a conspiracy to fail the good governance policy of the PTI-led government in the province. He said that gas supply was continuing unhindered to Punjab from local resources, and added that the local people had the first and foremost right over the natural resources extracted from their lands.

Mr Bangash said that the gas companies were ignoring local people in appointments. He pointed out that the companies had promised a mobile hospital for KP-39 and to give Rs30 million for a road in Lachi tehsil, but the promises remained unfulfilled despite passage of several years.

MNA Shehryar Afridi said that he had got released Rs8 billion as gas and oil royalty funds, but the development projects were being inaugurated by unconcerned people.

The deputy commissioner asked the representatives of the gas exploration companies to provide jobs to local qualified youth.

STREET ROBBRY: Street robbers deprived people from cash and mobile phones at gunpoint in Garhi Risaldar on Monday.

Waseem Khan informed the city police that he was going to home with his friends when unidentified armed men stopped them at Garhi Risaldar at gunpoint and asked them to hand over cash and their mobile phones to them.

The city police after registering case conducted raids in the area and claimed to have arrested one of the accused identified as Bilal. The police were trying to recover the booty.

In another case, the city police, acting on a tip-off, arrested Siddiqullah, resident of Takht-i-Nasratti tehsil of Karak, and seized over four kilograms of fine quality hashish from his possession. The police registered case against the smuggler.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2014