KARAK: The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial leader Saeedullah Shah Khattak has alleged that police officials in Kohat have been hampering smooth investigation into the large-scale theft of crude oil in Karak district.

Speaking at a press conference here on Sunday, he demanded that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should be tasked with the investigation of the matter so that the real culprits could be brought to book.

Mr Khattak said that under a conspiracy the foreign oil and gas exploration company, MOL, was being embroiled in the matter, which might force it to wind up its operations in the district, which would be a great loss to the development of the country in general and of the region in particular.

Mr Khattak said that that eight months ago an application regarding theft of the crude oil had been submitted to the government high ups and the law-enforcement agencies, but despite that oil theft continued unabatedly.

The QWP leader claimed that the applicant had the video proof of the oil theft. He alleged that for saving specific persons, the MOL company was being defamed, and demanded that the inquiry should be conducted through NAB.

Khattak warned that if the real thieves were not apprehended then the QWP would stage a protest sit-in outside the residence of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan at Bani Gala in Islamabad. He also called for halting what he described the defamation campaign against the MOL Company.

Mr Khattak appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Nasir Durrani to transfer the police officials who were hampering smooth investigation into the matter so that real culprits could be exposed and given punishment.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2014