KARAK - Former provincial minister Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel has said that district Karak was producing 22,000 barrel oil on daily basis and it would be sheer injustice if the oil refinery was established outside the district.
He was addressing the grand Jirga of Khattak Ittehad held here on Wednesday at the Town Hall and added that 60 points in the district had been identified for the exploration of oil and gas while so far only 19 points have been completed. The former minister claimed that the daily production of oil in Karak would exceed 90,000 barrels per day with the completion of all identified points.
Nisar recalled the promise of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chief Imran Khan to increase the oil and gas royalty of the district up to 30 per cent, urging to materialize his promise. He said that they want peaceful struggle for the attainment of the rights of district and resolved to continue it.
The ex-minister said that the establishment of oil refinery in Karak was a difficult task, urging the elected representatives of the district to struggle for it.
He said that the government was making a lame excuse of shortage of water in the district for setting up the mega project and argued if the government could arrange the supply of crude oil from Karak in pipeline to Attock refinery then why cannot supply water to Karak for refinery.
On the occasion, leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Fareed Tofan claimed that oil refinery would not be established even in Kohat division as the government has already taken decision on it. He said that they would not meet with the commissioner and deputy commissioner on the issue and added that it was beyond their power therefore they would meet with the chief minister or prime minister on the issue.
On the occasion, woman MPA and Parliamentary Secretary of Social Welfare Deena Naz claimed that the provincial government has not yet taken decision on the establishment of oil refinery and resolved that she would fight for the rights of district.
She resolved to take time from the Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak for the Khattak Ittehad elders to resolve the issue. She asked the SNGPL authority to disconnect illegal gas connections in the district.
Staff reporter from Peshawar adds:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Awami Jamhoori Itehad (AJI) sit-in against the US drone strikes and NATO supply via Khyber Pakhtunkhwa entered the 33rd consecutive day. The workers vowed to continue their protest till the stoppage of drone attacks.
In the sit-in besides a large number of PTI PK-5 workers and activists of the other ruling parties, including JI provincial leader and former provincial minister Kashif Azam, camp in-charge Younas Zaheer, Asghar Khalil and Malik Shad Muhammad also participated.
Addressing on the occasion, PTI leaders said that participation of the party workers in such a large number in the sit-in proved that party workers were ready to render any kind of sacrifice for the sake of country. They said that the protest on the call of party central chief Imran Khan also proved that no power of the world can stop this sit-in against the US drone attacks and their protest would be continued until US assurance of stopping the drone attacks.
The PTI leaders further said that the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League -N led federal government was completely failed to fulfil the promises, which they had made with the nation before elections. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif can stop these attacks but he is not interested to stop them.