KARAK: The incumbent and former lawmakers from across the Kohat division have formed a jirga to protect rights of the people in the oil and gas-rich region.

The decision was made at a meeting held here on Friday with JUI-F MPA Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel in the chair.

MPA Shah Dad Khan, former lawmakers Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz, Shamsur Rehman, Mufti Janan, Pir Haider Ali Shah, Mufti Ajmal, rights activists, office-bearers of political parties and local elders were in attendance.

The participants deplored that the government was getting billions of rupees’ revenue from the oil and gas exploration, but denied basic rights to the people. They said people of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were still deprived of basic needs of life despite abundant natural resources found on their soil.

The speakers lamented that the oil and gas companies were not interested in addressing the people’s issues, saying that they had urged the provincial government to release the oil and gas royalty funds to the people of Kohat division along with four years’ liabilities of Rs4.54 billion, but to no avail. They set January 5 as the deadline for resolution of their issues, or they would launch a protest movement.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2019