DADU, Dec 2: Nazims, councillors and social workers of the Johi taluka held a demonstration outside the press club on Thursday in protest against the BHP oil and gas company for not providing jobs and land compensation to locals.

A large number of residents of Bahawalpur, Mureed Babbar, Manjhi Qambrani, Imam Bux Jatoi, Mithi Jatoi, Kandiari and Butra Panhwar villages also joined the demonstration. Union Council Bahawalpur Nazim Saeed Jamali, Pukar Foundation chairman Aslam Babbar and others led the protesters.

Talking to newsmen, they said that the BHP had explored seven wells of oil and gas in Bahawalpur union council in 1997 but since then it was denying jobs to locals. They said the company had established its main camp in Zamzama and supplying a huge quantity of oil and gas to other parts of the country.

They said there were no roads, water supply, drainage, education and health facilities in the area from which multinational companies had been earning billion of dollars.