SWABI: Illegal sale of petrol has been continuing unabated across the district for last several months.

Villagers told this correspondent on Friday that sale of petrol by unauthorised dealers in the open market had become a routine, expressing anger over the authorities’ failure to crackdown on the illegal practice as it posed a grave threat to the lives of residents.

They said recent gory incident of oil tanker explosion in Bahawalpur, killing over 200 people had agonised them.

They alleged shopkeepers usually brought petrol in huge gallons to their shops, put the oil into plastic bottles and later sold it at exorbitant rates. They pointed out that a litre of petrol was sold at Rs72 at filling stations, but shopkeepers sold it at Rs80 to Rs90 per litre.

Illegal sale of petrol has been observed in Gohati, Asota, Karnal Sher Khan Kili, Chota Lahor and Topi.

Mohammad Rashid Advocate, former president of Swabi Bar Association, said such sale of petrol and other petroleum products was violation of Petroleum Act, 1934, and Petroleum Rules, 1937.

He said it was responsibility of Oil and Gas Regularity Authority and the district administration to take action and impose a ban on illegal sale of petroleum products.

When contacted, a police official said they would take action against the sellers of illegal petrol.

TWO WOMEN KILLED: Two women were killed and two others injured in separate incidents on Friday.

A man allegedly killed his mother and wounded his wife and daughter when he opened fire on them over a domestic issue. The incident occurred in Zaida locality. Swabi DSP Azhar Shah said both the injured were taken to Bacha Khan Hospital Complex, Shahmansoor where doctors referred them to a hospital in Peshawar. He said the police had arrested the accused.

In the second incident, a man was alleged to have accidentally pushed the trigger of a loaded gun, and the bullets hit his mother and brother. The woman died on the spot, while his brother got injuries and was taken to civil hospital, Topi.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2017