PESHAWAR: Khattak Qaumi Jirga (KQJ) has expressed its concern over the delay in inquiry of crude oil stealing case in Karak district and warned that all the political parties will jointly start protest demonstrations if those involved in the loot and plunder of millions of rupees oil are not arrested.

Speaking at a joint press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, a joint action committee, including leaders of various political parties from Karak, said that some influential people were involved in the stealing of crude oil from the main pipeline of Karak oilfield and the government was not taking action against them.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial general secretary and KQJ head Rehmat Salam Khattak said on the occasion that following a press conference of the jirga about three weeks ago the provincial government had ordered an inquiry into the oil theft case, but it failed to take action against the elements involved in the crime.

PML-N leader claims mafia stealing at least 40,000 litres of crude oil every night

“Junior officials can’t hold inquiry in the case where senior officers are involved. We reject the inquiry initiated by the police because it is not the solution of the matter to transfer a station house officer or district police officer,” Mr Khattak commented.

Flanked by Awami National Party -Wali provincial president Farid Toofan, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Mian Nisar Gul, former MNA Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz and some student leaders, Mr Khattak said that an organised mafia was involved in the crime which used to steal at least 40,000 litres of crude oil every night, but nobody bothered even to disclose it.

“The Kohat division administration and local police are directly involved in the case as they used to restrict movement of the public on the road close to the pipeline so that the tankers could shift the oil,” he alleged.

He asked the government to hand over the inquiry to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as KQJ did not expect any good from the police inquiry team.

The PML-N leader also demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to fulfil its commitment about the payment of Rs3 billion of the total estimated cost of Rs8.3 billion of the supply of natural gas to various areas of Karak district. He said that the federal government had promised to pay rest of the funds.

He said that gas worth billions of rupees was leaking in Karak due to illegal connections taken by people through unskilled workers, but the government was least bothered to provide legal connections.

He said that KQJ had held a meeting with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak who assured to extend cooperation in the process, but did not fulfil his commitment. “We will hold another meeting with the chief minister on Feb 6 to get his cooperation otherwise the people will come to the streets in protest,” he warned.

Farid Toofan, Nisar Gul and Shah Abdul Aziz opposed the shifting of the proposed oil refinery from Karak to Kohat district and asked both the provincial and federal governments to establish it at Krapa area of Karak.

They also demanded employment for the local people, free of cost gas connections and ensuring full gas pressure in Karak district.

They said that 75 per cent of gas produced in Karak was being supplied to other parts of the country, but even then local people had been kept deprived of the facility.

They said that the officials of relevant oil company should also be inquired in the oil theft case. They also demanded of the government to give due royalty to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which had badly suffered due to militancy.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2015

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