KARAK: On the call of Khattak Loya Jigra, an organisation of former elected representatives, thousands of people blocked the Indus Highway on Thursday for several hours at Tangori Sar, demanding of the provincial government to hold immediate negotiations with them for resolution of their longstanding problems and acceptance of demands.

The problems include low gas pressure, power loadshedding and water shortage. They also asked the provincial government to take steps for establishing the oil refinery in Karak. The rally leaders resolved to besiege the oil and gas installations at Nashpa if the government did not respond to their demands in 72 hours.

The protesters, led by the former provincial ministers Fareed Tofan, Mian Nisar Gul and former MNA Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz and district presidents and office-bearers of all political parties and the right organisations, marched to the Indus Highway from the venue of protest sit-in held at Baz Mohammad Chowk here.

They blocked the Indus Highway for several hours.

On this occasion, the speakers claimed that people of the district were united for their rights beyond their political affiliations and asked the government not to force the people of Khattak tribe to adopt the way of violence.

They said that earlier the provincial government was not ready even to talk to the leaders of the district. They said that the government was contacting them through the commissioner and deputy commissioner for negotiations, but now the negotiations would be held on the land of Karak district instead of Peshawar.

They set 72-hour deadline for talks with Chief Minister Pervaz Khattak in Karak district and warned that after the deadline they would march towards the Nashpa oil and gas dehydration plant to shut it and suspend the oil and gas supply from the field.

They resolved that protest sit-in of the rights organisations would continue till its logical conclusion. The traders of the district also expressed complete solidarity with the jirga and observed complete shutter down strike.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2015

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