KARAK, Aug 8: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said that the construction of six small dams in the area has been approved and the feasibility reports of 15 other schemes are being prepared to resolve the irrigation and drinking water problems of the Karak district.

The chief minister was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Lawaghar dam in the Oblean area in the Takht-i-Nasrati tehsil here on Wednesday.

He said that the MMA government had fulfilled its promise with the Karak people and set aside a huge amount to supply natural gas from the Gurguri gas field to some 38 villages of Karak and Takht-i-Nasrati tehsils.

Mr Durrani said that five per cent royalty on natural resources had been given to those districts from where the resources were discovered. He said Karak would become the richest district in future due to its huge oil and gas reserves.

He emphasized that foreign workers of gas and oil exploration companies should be treated according to Pukhtun traditions of hospitality as these foreigners had come here to help discover natural resources.

The chief minister said that the nation had decided to break the yoke of slavery. Criticising the federal government, he said the rulers who could not counter threats of strikes inside Pakistan had no right to be in power.

Provincial minister Malik Zafar Azam said canals would be taken out from the dams in Karak to resolve the water problem in the area.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf MPA Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel, district nazim Rehmat Salam Khattak and JUI (F) leader Mufti Ajmal also spoke.