KARAK: MNA Shahid Khan Khattak has said the federal government has approved Rs1 billion for provision of gas supply to different villages of Karak.

Talking to mediapersons here on Monday, he said people of Karak had the foremost right of gas facility.

The lawmaker said he had talked to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan regarding the construction of 15 small dams in the district.

He claimed that he did not believe in hollow slogans and would realise all the election promises.

WORK STOPPED: Work on several projects has been stopped by the contractors over non-payment of funds.

This was disclosed by rights activists, including Hidayatullah Khattak, Ali Marjan, Prof Isam Jan and others, while talking to mediapersons on Monday.

They said work on Karak modal school, a project of last ANP government, judicial complex, Banda Daud Shah girls degree college, city water supply scheme and Karak-Banda Daud Shah road had been stopped.

They said the contractors claimed that they halted the work over non-availability of funds. They said several projects were initiated by the ANP government, and the last Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government continued work on them due to their importance, but the incumbent government had stopped the work.

The activists claimed they had met with the heads of the departments concerned regarding stoppage of work on the projects, who said funds shortage had stalled the schemes.

They asked the lawmakers to raise the matter on the provincial assembly floor.

They said work on widening of the Indus Highway from Kohat to Lakki Marwat had also been stopped. They demanded of the government to release funds for the projects without delay.

THREE INJURED: Three youngsters were injured when two motorcycles collided on Karak-Shakardara Road. The injured were shifted to a hospital in Peshawar due to their critical condition.

Police identified the injured as Haroon Jan, Naveed Khan and Rasool Zaman, residents of Shanki Banda area of Karak tehsil.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2019