Residents protest against non-availability of gas

F.P. Report

HANGU: Residents of Khattak Banda and surrounding areas Saturday held a protest demonstration against the non-availability of natural gas facility in their respective villages.

The protesting villagers hailing from various villages include Khattak Banda, Anar Chinna, Katgar and surrounding adjacent areas, led by Haji Abdur Rahman, Hafiz Qasim, Zoat Ali Khan, Akbar Shah and Obar Shah while holding placards in their hands gathered on Hangu road. They chanted full-throated slogans against the government and Mol, a private gas company, for ignoring their commitments for provision of natural gas to the people of respective areas. They urged the government to ensure provision of natural gas facility to people from Makori gas plant instead from Babar Mela, and warned not to bear any frustration of the locals.

Addressing the protesters on the occasion local elders lamented that their respective areas despite being gas production points were ignored and the locals are being frustrated. They also said that a private Oil and Gas company Mol in its in first phase of initiating work were made commitment to provide gas facility to the locals of stated areas, but now they ignored their commitments, they added.

They also criticized the role of provincial government in provision of basic facility to the locals, adding police harassed and baton charge the peaceful Marchers protesting for their genuine demand.

They informed that Babar Mela is a distance of 48 kilometer from Khattak Banda, while it is on 15 kilometer distance from the same area. They also regretted the role of provincial legislatures for ignoring the demand of the locals and followed a mum over the issue despite repeated demands. They asked the federal and provincial governments and authorities of the Oil and Gas department to provide them natural gas to the locals without any further delay, and warned to launch a protest movement against the government.