KARAK: Local government representatives of Banda Daud Shah tehsil continued for the second day on Saturday their sit-in outside the main gate of the Central Processing Facility (CPF) of foreign oil and gas exploration company, MOL, to protest low gas pressure, halting supply of crude oil from the facility.

The protesters, including village nazims, general and district councillors, complained that gas was explored on their soil, but the local people had long been facing low gas pressure.

They said they held talks with MOL and SNGPL authorities time and again to improve the pressure, but to no avail.

The protesters lamented that the local people were suffering different kinds of diseases but the company had not bothered to set up a health facility.

They deplored that the oil and gas exploration firms had failed to implement the international regulations, because of which the locals were suffering the adverse effects of environmental pollution.

The councillors demanded that greenbelts should be developed in the areas by growing trees to neutralise the dangerous effects of the gases emitting from the CPF and other oil and gas exploration activities.

They complained that road infrastructure was destroyed by the heavy vehicles of the companies, but they provided no funds for reconstruction and repair of roads.

They resolved to continue their protest sit-in until the gas pressure was improved.

BOY KILLED: A teenage boy was killed when the pistol he was cleaning allegedly went off.

Family said on Saturday that Qaisar Rehman, 18, of Takki Mithakhel, was cleaning his pistol when it went off, seriously injuring him. He was taken to the district headquarters hospital, Karak, where he died.

Published in Dawn January 22nd, 2017