KOHAT: Public transporters parked their vehicles in the bus stands to protest the closure of CNG stations here on Monday.

The protesting transporters said they could not run their vehicles on petrol and diesel. They lamented that gas was produced locally but people had been subjected to suspensions, low pressure, and loadshedding.

They asked the Road Transport Authority to issue a revised fare list in view of the closure of CNG stations to avoid bickering between drivers and passengers on fare.

President of public transporters’ association, Wazir Shah, said the strike had stressed out most of the drivers as they were daily wagers.

Patron-in-chief of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CNG stations’ association Haji Sajid said the actual problem was the low gas pressure, and asked the authorities to increase the pressure, so that both the commercial and domestic consumers could get gas at the same time.

ANP CONVENTION: Awami National Party local leaders, while addressing a workers’ convention held here on Monday, said ANP would contest the next general elections on its own.

They said the party had lent its support to the centrally-ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement until the general elections, according to a statement.

The speakers included ANP senior vice-president for Darra Adamkhel tribal subdivision Noor Aslam, Dr Khadim Hussain, provincial member of the party’s ticket distribution committee, Mr Yaqoob, a former candidate from KP-88, district president Dr Safdar, general secretary Kashif Shah, and others.

A large number of workers from Lachi, Darra, Gumbat and Kohat tehsils attended the convention.

The speakers alleged that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa people were being denied share in oil, gas and electricity royalty. They said successive governments had neglected Pakhtuns’ welfare.

They alleged the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had emptied the provincial exchequer during its 10 years in power and closed the mega corruption cases of BRT, Malam Jabba and the billion-tree tsunami.

Published in Dawn, january 3th, 2023