PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench has issued show cause notices to the federal petroleum and natural resources secretary and two officials of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited seeking their response to a contempt petition filed by an MPA against the noncompliance with a court order for the successful execution of a gas project in the provincial assembly’s constituency, PK-55, Mardan.

Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Ahmad Ali ordered the respondents, including the petroleum secretary and SNGPL general manager (sales) and its regional general manager to respond to the petition and show cause why contempt proceedings shouldn’t be initiated against them.

The bench issued the order during the hearing into the petition of MPA Jamshed Khan Mohmand, who said the government had violated the court’s order issued on May 16 by not completing the gas project.

Petitioner insists govt violated court’s order by not completing PK-55 gas project

Mohammad Ali, lawyer for the petitioner, contended that the court had issued directives to the federal government to arrange funds within a month for the completion of the PK-55 Mardan gas project but despite the passage of five months, the order hadn’t been complied with.

He contended that the petitioner belonged to the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, so the PTI government had withheld funds for the project.

The lawyer pointed out that the high court in its judgment had issued directions to the secretary for the energy ministry (petroleum division) to do the needful for the provision of funds for the SNGPL within a month.

He said the constituency in question comprised various localities and villages of Mardan that were denied the basic facility of natural gas to the misery of residents though the adjoining and nearby constituencies had access to the gas for a long time.

The lawyer contended that in a public meeting, the then adviser to the prime minister on water and power, petroleum and natural resources, Engineer Amir Muqam, had announced the supply of natural gas to the said constituency as the approval of the announcement was granted by the then prime minister on Sept 7, 2016.

He said that on July 20, 2017, the necessary sanction of the release of funds to the SNGPL during the financial year 2017-18 for gas supply to various areas and villages was issued, while Rs142.88 million technical supplementary grant was released to the SNGPL.

The lawyer pointed out that until June 30, 2018, the government was bound to put in place the entire infrastructure for gas supply to the constituency but due to the slackness of work, the respondents didn’t complete the project prompting the government to halt work on the project.

He claimed that a federal minister belonging to the area had been creating hurdles.

The lawyer for the SNGPL, Asad Jan, told the court that his client was ready to successfully execute the gas project at the earliest but the petroleum ministry had to release funds without delay for the purpose.

The bench observed that it was a project of public interest, so it should have been completed in accordance with the court’s orders.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2019