KARAK: The people of Karak staged a rally here on Wednesday and marched towards Nashpa dehydration plant to demand smooth supply of natural gas and utilisation of royalty fund for the welfare of local residents.

The protest was held on the call of Khattak Loya Jirga. The members of the jirga and local people also held a meeting to devise a future line of action.

They threatened to expand their agitation if government failed to accept their demands.

Former provincial ministers Fareed Toofan and Mian Nisar Gul; former MNA Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz and former district nazim Sharif Khattk said that the residents of the gas producing district were deprived of the facility.

The speakers said that gas facility was provided to only 30 per cent area of the district.

They said that gas pressure was low in the area. They said that people of the district were facing more than 20 hours power loadshedding daily.

The speakers said that there was acute shortage of drinking water in the district owing to excessive power loadshedding. They said that the people of the district had been protesting since 90 days on roads but the government was arresting the leaders of rights organisations instead of taking notice of the situation.

The speakers said that gas facility should be provided to the entire district and royalty funds should be spent on the projects for the welfare of the people.

UNIVERSITY: The vice chancellor of Khushal Khan Khattak University, Dr Mohammad Ibrahim Khattak, promised to make the university a model and bring it at par with the universities of the developed districts.

He was addressing as chief guests at a welcome party here on Wednesday. The welcome party was organised in the honour of the newcomers to various disciplines of the university.

Mr Khattak said that two years ago a single person visited Karak district to establish a new university there. “Today this dream has come true,” he added.

The vice-chancellor appreciated the role of the heads of different faculties and said that they were working like a family for the success of the university.

He stressed the need for character building and asked the students to become men of character.

Published in Dawn March 5th , 2015

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