KOHAT: The government has decided to spend Rs15 billion oil and gas royalty funds on provision of gas to the neglected areas across the Kohat division, and stop the funds distribution among the lawmakers for five years.

The decision was made at a meeting chaired by adviser to the chief minister on information technology, MPA Ziaullah Bangash, here on Wednesday.

The meeting was told that the project envisaged provision of gas connections to both the domestic and commercial consumers in Kohat, Hangu and Karak districts.

SNGPL General Manager Junaid Khan, Kohat division commissioner Syed Abdul Jabbar, Kohat deputy commissioner Abdur Rehman and other officials were in attendance.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKET: The vendors association of the fruit and vegetable market has demanded of the district administration to order the Water Supply and Sanitation Company to clean the place thrice a month as promised at an open kutchery recently.

Talking to reporters, association’s president Fayyaz Afridi regretted that the WSSC officials had agreed to keep the fruit market clean during the open forum, but were now refusing to do the job.

He said neither the WSSC nor the tehsil municipal administration was ready to take the responsibility of maintaining cleanliness at the fruit market on the Bannu Road.

MAN WITH HASHISH HELD: The police arrested an inter-provincial smuggler on the Indus Highway with 75kg of fine quality hashish, which he was carrying to Punjab from Kurram district in a car.

SP operations Tahir Iqbal told a press conference on Wednesday that acting on a tip-off, the police stopped a car, and, during search, found a huge quantity of hashish hidden in its secret cavities.

The smuggler, Arif Hassan, who was also presented before the journalists, hailed from Parachinar city.

He said the accused had admitted smuggling drugs to Punjab.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2020