KOHAT, Aug 30: The authorities here have failed to persuade members of a loya jirga of the Lachi town to allow work to be resumed on a pipeline being laid to supply gas to northern parts of the province. The work was suspended last month.

The jirga had set Friday as the deadline for connecting the local network with the main gas pipeline passing through Lachi. The jirga members had told the authorities that if the connection was not made by the deadline they would not allow the supply of gas to the northern districts of the province.

Meanwhile, it was learnt on Thursday that if the elders did not allow the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited to lay the pipeline soon, the district administration would arrest those creating problems for the utility.

District coordination officer Shahabullah Shah had held talks with jirga chief Sabir Yaqoob and members Saadullah and Nisar Khan but failed to persuade them to resume the work.

He had told the jirga members that Chief Minister Mohammad Akram Durrani had approved funds for providing gas facility to Lachi by 2008, but they stuck to their demands.