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PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench has directed the federal government and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited not to spend funds meant for the supply of natural gas to the provincial assembly’s constituency, PK-55 Mardan, on any other scheme until further orders.
Justice Roohul Amin Khan Chamkani and Justice Qalandar Ali Khan sought comments from the federal energy secretary and SNGPL chief executive on the petition of MPA Jamshed Khan Mohmand against suspension of work on the project launched by the last federal government for the gas supply to PK-55 (then PK-27) constituency.
The bench directed the two respondents to explain why the gas network hadn’t been extended to the PK-55 areas despite direct investment.
Seeks comments on petition against suspension of work on project
The petitioner said his constituency was denied basic amenities of life due to political wrangling as the scheme was approved by the previous PML-N government in the centre.
He feared that the funds meant for gas supply to his constituency would be diverted to any other project.
Shumail Ahmad Butt, lawyer for the petitioner, said his client’s constituency included various Mardan towns and villages, which didn’t have gas supply unlike nearby constituencies, which were supplied gas long ago.
He said his client was elected MPA from PK-55 (then PK-27) in 2013 after the killing of his brother, Imran Mohmand, in a suicide attack and that he was reelected in the 2018 general elections on the PML-N ticket.
The lawyer said the petitioner had joined the PML-N during the last government just to ensure the welfare of the people of his constituency.
He said former adviser to the prime minister on natural resources Engineer Amir Muqam had announced gas supply to PK-27 after its approval by the then prime minister in Sept 2016.
Mr Butt said the secretary of petroleum division formally directed the SNGPKL chief executive on Oct 23, 2016, to complete the process of gas supply to PK-27, while the chief executive had informed on Jan 4, 2017, about the completion of survey for the project and the estimated cost of the project.
He said funds for the Rs1197.138 million project were sanctioned in July 2017, while Rs142.88 million technical supplementary grant was released to SNGPL.
The lawyer said the respondents were bound to complete the entire infrastructure for gas supply to PK-27 by June 30, 2018, but they didn’t do so.
He said the government later stopped work on the project.
Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2018
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