SWABI, Oct 21: District Nazim Sharam Khan has pledged that gas will be provided to the area within six months. The district has been waiting for the supply of Sui gas for a decade, but no concrete step has been taken either by officials or leaders of various political parties in that direction.

In January 1995, former federal minister for petroleum and natural resources Anwar Saifullah Khan announced at the Swabi Chowk (Kernel Sher) in a public meeting that gas would be provided to the district via Jehangira (Nowshera) and Ghazi (Haripur) within six months. All the leaders belonging to the Awami National Party, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, PPP Parliamentarians and Pakistan Muslim League pledged the facility, but failed.

When Nawaz Sharif assumed power after 1997 election, he had the project stopped and the Sui gas pipes shifted to his son-in-law Captain Safdar’s constituency.

The ANP and leaders of other parties did not protested the move because it was in alliance with the Muslim League and the Walibaghi leaders were not interested to annoy the ex-prime minister.

Though the people of Jehangira and Ghazi had been enjoyed the facility for a few years, only the residents of the district are still waiting for it.