Inauguration of gas supply projects: PM cancels Mardan visit today

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has cancelled his visit to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today to inaugurate work on gas supply projects in Mardan district apparently due to his busy schedule in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to reserve its judgement in the Panama Papers leak case.

He was scheduled to perform the inauguration of work on gas supply projects in the provincial assembly constituencies, PK-27 and PK-28, at a function in Takht Bhai today. His adviser Amir Muqam, who is provincial president of the PML-N, was planning to hold a big public meeting in the PK-27 constituency to celebrate the occasion. Jamshed Khan Mohmand, the PML-N MPA for PK-27, was mobilizing his supporters to organize the public gathering and PML-N workers from PK-28 constituency and other parts of the province were also planning to attend the event.

Due to the last-minute decision by the Prime Minister to cancel his visit, Amir Muqam would now perform the inauguration of the work on gas supply project in PK-27 constituency today. A separate public event would be staged during the coming week in PK-28 constituency at Katlang or Ghundo to inaugurate the work on gas supply project.

The project of gas supply for PK-27 constituency, including Lundkhwar area, would cost Rs1.2 billion. The project for PK-28 constituency to supply gas to 45 villages and hamlets would cost Rs860 million.

The Prime Minister had approved funds for these projects on the request of lawmakers and prominent citizens of these constituencies. Gas was already being supplied to a number of villages in Mardan district and the inhabitants of the leftover villages had been demanding the facility for years. Promises were made but never kept by successive governments and lawmakers to meet the demand.

Jamshed Mohmand was an independent MPA supporting the PTI-led coalition government, but he decided to join the PML-N when Amir Muqam promised to help provide natural gas to his constituency.