PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday summoned the federal energy secretary on Feb 27 over noncompliance with its orders for the supply of natural gas to the provincial assembly’s constituency, PK-55 Mardan.

Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar ordered the immediate resumption of work on the gas project declaring the non-completion of the initiative is tantamount to committing contempt of the court.

They also asked secretary Mian Asad Hayauddin to respond to an earlier show cause notice, which said why contempt proceedings shouldn’t take place against him for flouting the court’s orders.

The bench was hearing a contempt petition of PML-N MPA Jamshed Khan Mohmand, who insisted that the government had violated the court’s order issued on May 16, 2019, for the completion of the PK-55 gas project.

Mohammad Ali, lawyer for the petitioner, said the project in question was of public importance but the respondents didn’t complete it.

He said digging was carried out in different areas without laying pipelines.

The lawyer said the court had directed the federal government to provide funds within a month for gas supply to PK-55 Mardan over eight months but the orders hadn’t been complied with.

He said the petitioner belonged to the opposition PML-N, so the PTI government had stopped funds for the project.

The lawyer said the high court had directed the secretary of the federal ministry of energy (petroleum division) in the judgment to arrange funds for the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) within a month.

He said the PK-55 constituency comprised various localities and villages, which didn’t have the supply of natural gas, though that basic facility had been available in the nearby and adjoining constituencies for a long time.

Lawyer for the SNGPL Asad Jan said his client wanted to complete the gas project in accordance with the court’s orders but it lacked the required funds.

He added that funds had to be provided by the petroleum division.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Mohammad Ali, said the petitioner belonged to the opposition party, so the ruling PTI was reluctant to provide funds for the gas project fearing the credit for the facility would go to his client.

He said during the last PML-N-led federal government, the then adviser to the prime minister on natural resources, Engineer Amir Muqam, had announced in a public meeting gas supply to the constituency following its approval by the then prime minister on Sept 7, 2016.

Mohammad Ali said necessary sanction of funds was issued to the SNGPL on July 20, 2017, for gas supply to various areas and villages, while Rs142.88 million worth of technical supplementary grant was released to the SNGPL.

He pointed out that until June 30, 2018, the government was bound to have had completed the entire infrastructure for the supply of gas to the said constituency.

The lawyer said the respondents had not completed the project due to the slackness of work and the government had stopped further progress on the project.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2020