PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party leader Rahimdad Khan said here on Wednesday that residents of nine union councils in Mardan would launch agitation if government failed to supply natural gas to their areas.

Addressing a press conference, he said that the residents of the villages located in the provincial assembly constituencies PK-27 and PK-28 would stop forcibly supply of natural gas to other areas if they were not provided with the facility. He said that work on supply of natural gas to parts of Shergarh had been started in 2012 but the present federal government left the project incomplete.

Representing the people of the areas, Mr Khan said that Hatian, Takkar, Maday Baba, Kafur Dheri, Lund Khwar, Makori, Shergarh and the respective suburban areas were located near the main supply line but even then natural gas was not supplied to those areas.

Mr Khan, former provincial president of PPP and former provincial senior minister, said that he had managed to get funds released for supplying gas to those areas during the previous PPP government after completion of proper feasibility study but the present abandoned the plan.

He alleged that PML-N leader Amir Muqam created problems for the people because new plans were approved and the already approved schemes were ignored on the basis of political affiliations. He said that Mr Muqam was trying to provide gas facility to his home district Shangla.

Mr Khan said that MPA Jamshed Mohmand joined PML-N but he also failed to convince the federal government to resume work on the gas supply project.

Flanked by Assadullah Khan and others, he said that it was a matter of serious nature and the local people were ready to stop gas supply via Shergarh towards Malakand division in protest if they were not provided with the facility.

He said that those union councils were generating huge revenue and contributing to the government kitty through agriculture produce and tobacco crop but even then those were deprived of basic facilities.

He also expressed concerns over poor condition of health and education facilities in the areas and termed it failure of provincial government. He said that healthcare centres lacked basic facilities and people had to take their patients to Peshawar for treatment.

He urged both the provincial and federal governments to fulfil their commitment with the voters and take prompt steps for welfare of the people otherwise their candidates would be unable to succeed in the next general elections.

The former senior minister said that people of those areas would agitate and in case of any misshape entire responsibility would rest with the officials of SNGPL and PML-N leadership if federal government did not accept their demand.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2017