KOHAT: The federal government will release Rs4 billion next month for provision of natural gas to nine union councils of Kohat.

Talking to journalists here on Friday, MNA Shehryar Afridi said 4,000 households of old Jarma had long been demanding provision of gas.

Mr Afridi said Rs4 billion would be released in June for nine union councils of Chor Lakki, Khushalgarh, Shiekh Allah Dad, Shah Pur, Nasrat Khel, Ustarzai Payan, Dhodha, Alizai and Sher Kot.

He regretted that people of a large part of Kohat, from where the gas reserves had been discovered, were forced to use wood, electricity, and costly LPG for cooking and heating purposes.

The minister asked the SNGPL to prepare a plan for executing the gas project.

Separately, former chief minister’s adviser, MPA Ziaullah Bangash has said the release of the first tranche of funds had risen hopes that the long-delayed work on the Liaquat Memorial Hospital would be complete soon.

Talking to journalists, he recalled that the hospital project was inaugurated by then chief minister Pervez Khattak in 2018, who had announced Rs1.25 billion for it. But due to paucity of funds, the contractor had left the work halfway, he added.

In a separate development, the Ustarzai police arrested an alleged extortionist and killer of a young man.

SHO Qismat Khan told reporters on Friday that the victim’s family had informed him that a man was calling them and demanding Rs1 million extortion from them.

He said Hussain Asghar, 24, had gone missing on April 7, and his body was found on April 11 in the mountains of Spina Khwara Khadizai. He said the victim had married only two months ago.

The SHO said a pistol was also recovered from the accused, Zahid Ali, adding the police registered two separate cases against him over extortion and murder.

SCHOOL SEALED: The additional assistant commissioner-I sealed a school in Jungle Khel area for running classes on Friday.

The official visited the area following a complaint received by deputy commissioner Abdur Rehman.

He immediately sealed the school and got it vacated from students and teachers.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2021