DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 5: Members of the Qaisrani tribe are set to launch protest on Thursday for what, they claim, non-acceptance of their demands.

The protest is feared to create a security risk for Chinese engineers engaged in drilling for exploring oil and gas.

The tribesmen have been demanding facilities of schooling, employment and health, and provision of potable water. Reports said the OGDCL had allotted the Koh-i-Suleman Block to a Canadian firm two years ago for exploration.

However, the firm withdrew itself from the contract due to security concerns. Thereafter, the OGDCL signed a contract with local Dewan Mushtaq Group, whose crew and machinery arrived at Rodho four weeks ago. Rodho is situated in the tribal belt of Tuman Qaisrani, about 125 kilometres from here.

Besides the discovery of Dhodak in 1973, it was believed that Rodho reservoirs would be utilized for at least 50 years for oil and natural gas exploration. But the official apathy has led to the loss of buildings and machinery in the last 31 years.

The local firm had forwarded a sub-contract to a Chinese firm for the drilling of three wells. Some 23 Chinese engineers arrived here two weeks ago to start work. The Border Military Police escorted the Chinese team from Peshawar to the local site.

It is pertinent to mention here that a Chinese engineer was kidnapped by the tribesmen to press for their demands during the construction of the Indus Highway in 1994. Now the tribesmen have decided to block the main road today and it may lead to suspension of the work.