PHC orders SNGPL to provide natural gas to NA-13 Swabi

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday allowed a writ petition of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Member of National Assembly, Aqibullah Khan, and issued directives to Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and SNGPL to provide natural gas to NA-13 of the Swabi district.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Musarrat Hilali allowed the writ petition. The bench observed that under Article 158 of Constitution it was the government’s constitutional duty to provide natural gas first to the citizens of the province then supply to other provinces.

Aqibullah Khan, Member National Assembly from NA-13 Swabi district, brother of KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, had filed the petition through his lawyer, Sabitullah Khan Khalil against the federal government through Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and SNGPL.

The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the SNGPL in 2013 had prepared cost estimate of Rs600 million for providing natural gas to various localities of NA-13. He stated that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has already paid an amount of Rs50 million to the SNGPL for provision of the natural gas to the areas and the provincial government had agreed to pay the remaining amount, but the authorities concerned did not supply the gas. On the other hand, the law officers including Kifayatullah Khan, representing the federal government submitted that the gas was not provided due to ban on new connections.