KARAK: The residents of Banda Daud Shah have rejected the tax imposed by the tehsil council on the transportation of salt and gypsum.

The concern was aired at a meeting in Jatta Ismailkhel on Wednesday with former union council chairman Iqbal Khan Khattak in the chair.

The meeting was informed that the tehsil council had imposed tax on minerals transportation out of the area which was tantamount to economic murder of thousands of people associated with the job.

They said the new tax, if not withdrawn, would result in closure of factories, thus rendering thousands of workers jobless.

The participants said the tax was violation of an apex court decision that loading and unloading tax on minerals was illegal. They said the tax was a conspiracy to hamper development of the area, and resolved to oppose it tooth and nail.

A TMA official said the tax was meant to boost the revenue resources of the municipal body.

LOW GAS PRESSURE PROTESTED: The residents of Nashpa, Alwargi Banda, Sanda Khuram and adjoining localities took to the streets on Wednesday against low gas pressure, and stopped transportation of oil from the dehydration plant of the OGDCL.

Hundreds of residents of more than 12 localities marched to the dehydration plant early in the morning and blocked the crude oil supply from the plant. They held a protest sit-in outside the main gate of the plant.

The speakers claimed they had given deadline to the SNGPL to improve gas pressure, but to no avail, despite the fact that they were living in the gas exploration zone.

The speakers regretted that they were deprived of all basic amenities and the companies did not fulfill their social responsibilities to resolve their problems.

Police also reached the spot to cope with any untoward incident. Later, assistant commissioner, Karak, Basheer Ahmad and tehsildar Banda Daud Shah Arif Khattak held talks with the protesters, assuring them of resolving their problems, thus making them to end the protest.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2018