PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has criticised the federal government for allegedly stopping an American company from investing $100 million in an oil and gas concession block near Peshawar.

Talking to journalists after visiting the site on Sunday, he said that M/s Hycarbex was ready to start exploration of oil and gas in Mattani, an area near Peshawar, but the federal government had not issued a no-objection certificate to it. He said local people had discovered gas while digging wells in Mattani.

Accompanied by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, senior PTI leader Jehangir Tareen, provincial ministers and representatives of the American company, Mr Khan accused the PML-N government of adopting delaying tactics in issuing the NOC to the American firm which, he said, was ready to spend $50m to $100m in the Mattani block.

He said that prevailing energy crisis had severely affected textile and other sectors, adding that oil and gas production was declining in Sindh and Balochistan while it was increasing in KP. “Instead of signing contracts worth billions of dollars for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas from other countries, the federal government should invest in exploration of oil and gas in KP.”

The PTI chief said gas had been found in different places of Mattani and if the federal government started drilling in KP, there was no need to import gas and oil. Gas produced in KP was already being supplied to other provinces, he added.

He urged the interior ministry to allow the company to start drilling in Mattani. He said that since oil and gas was a federal subject, it was a responsibility of the centre to provide security to foreign companies in the province. The federal government should invest in the energy sector instead of wasting money on projects like Orange Line train.

An official statement said the KP government had already started geological studies and scouting of the Peshawar petroleum concession block. It urged the federal government to immediately extend lease to investors.

Production of oil increased from 30,000 to 50,000 barrels per day over the past two years and that of gas from 333 to 400 million cubic feet per day. LPG production rose to 510 tons from 10 tons a day.

BUS SERVICE: Imran Khan visited a railway track in Peshawar from where the proposed bus rapid transit system service will pass.

The KP government has prepared a feasibility study of the Rs14 billion project and urged the centre to provide land along the railway track to start work on the mass transit service. The center is yet to act on the request.

According to the feasibility report, the government will not allow any subsidy after launching the 23km bus project between Chamkani Interchange and Industrial Estate Hayatabad. It will be completed in 12 to 15 months.

The report said the federal minister for railways had informed the chief minister that a feasibility study of dual-rail track from Rawalpindi to Peshawar was under consideration. If the study confirms that the land could be spared, Railways would have no objection and accept the provincial government’s request.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2016