MANSEHRA: The people on Friday complained about the issuance of inflated gas bills here and announced they would challenge them in the high court.

“We have decided to move the Peshawar High Court and block the Karakoram Highway against the excessive gas bills,” chairman of the Datta village council Asad Ali Shah told reporters here.

Accompanied by a group of residents, including local body representatives, Mr Shah said if the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited didn’t withdraw inflated bills soon, the residents would block the KKH near Datta.

He said the people were so badly hit by record inflation that they’re unable to pay those bills.

“This month’s bills are almost five to six times higher than those issued in the corresponding time last year. People cannot pay them,” he said.

The council chairman said a labourer in his area, who hardly earned Rs25,000 a month, got over Rs20,000 gas bill.

“Most people have shown up here on their own just because they, too, are victims of inflated bills. We all will take the issue to the high court for relief,” he said.

Mr Shah said the government increased gas tariffs in the past slightly but the recent hike was all-timehigh to the misery of consumers.

ELECTION TICKETS: District emir of the Jamiat-i-Islami Dr Tariq Sheerazi on Friday named his party’s candidates for election to two National and five provincial assembly seats here.

He told reporters that as the party’s candidates, he would contest election in NA-14 Mansehra-I and Hafiz Mohammad Yunus in NA-15- Mansehra-II.

He said Hafiz Rehman would run for PK-36- Mansehra-1, Jamil Ahmad Jehangira for PK-37-Mansehra-II, Ahmad Khan Tanoli for PK-38-Mansehra-III, Dr Mohammad Siddique for PK-39-Mansehra-IV and Bukhtar Khan for PK-40-Mansehra-V.

“Our party’s activists are actively carrying out election campaigns across the district and will ensure our electoral success,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2023