SWABI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar on Friday condemned the longstanding ban on new gas connections in the Swabi district, and asked the centre to lift the restriction as people were ready to pay in advance to the SNGPL in getting new connections.

He was addressing a party meeting held at his hujra in Marghuz union council.

Earlier, the PTI had planned to hold the meeting against the ban in an open area, but the venue was shifted to the speakers’ residence on security reasons.

The meeting was part of the ruling party’s protest drive under the banner of ‘Swabi Ko Gas Do’ (give gas facility to Swabi), which began on Thursday from Baja union council. The protest will continue till Feb 26.

CALL FOR UNITY: The Awami National Party and Jamait Ulema-i-Islam-F leaders have stressed that in the wake of the fresh wave of terrorism sweeping the country there is dire need of unity among the country men to foil the designs of those wanting to destabilise Pakistan.

Talking to media persons separately on Friday, they condemned the suicide bombings and killing of innocent people in different parts of the country during the last six days.

Ameer Rehman, the district nazim and ANP district president, said the suicide attacks in Mohmand Agency, Lahore, Peshawar and at Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine in Sindh was the result of a well-planned conspiracy hatched by anti-Pakistan elements to weaken the country and create an environment of fear and insecurity among people.

JUI-F district chief Attaul Haq Darvaish alleged that Afghanistan and India had joined hands to destablise Pakistan. However, he said the people of Pakistan would foil such designs.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2017