KOHAT: The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited has approved carpeting of two dirt roads at a cost of Rs50 million in Shahpur area, meeting a longstanding demand of the locals.

Carpeting of the roads was necessary as recently huge reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the area.

The 2.5 kilometres road from Spin Bungalow to Charghari and 1.5 kilometres road from Tor Chappar to Sur Qamar have been approved at a cost of Rs25 million and Rs15 million.

An elder, Shakir Bangash said people were suffering a great deal of hardship during rains as water remained stagnant on dirt roads for days.

Meanwhile, perturbed by a press conference against police by a man, district police officer Shafiullah Gandapur announced on Friday to take action against him under the Press and Publication Act.

In a statement, the DPO said the man, namely Aamir, who had accused the police of illegal acts, was himself involved in criminal activities and several FIRs were registered against him. He said the man had been involved in smuggling hashish to Islamabad, adding the accuser had made concocted stories against the police just to put pressure on them.

He said the man was a habitual criminal and drug trafficker, who had been frustrated by the raids by police at his house.

The DPO, however, offered no reason as to why the man was net not yet arrested despite registration of several FIRs against him.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2022