Khattak says he is not SNGPL defaulter

NOWSHERA: Former chief minister Pervez Khattak on Wednesday clarified that he was not a defaulter of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL).

Pervez Khattak said that it was not him but his namesake Haji Pervez Khattak who is owner of several compressed natural gas (CNGs) stations.

The former chief minister said the report carried in a section of the media which termed him a defaulter of SNGPL was wrong. “I did not own any CNG station or company. The media should have verified the news before broadcasting the story involving me,” said Pervez Khattak.

He said the returning officer had accepted his nomination papers for contesting election on National Assembly constituency NA-25 and two provincial assembly constituencies PK-61 and 64.

The ex-chief minister said that his father was associated with construction business and he left the construction work after joining politics.

Pervez Khattak, who also served thrice as provincial minister and remained district nazim of Nowshera, said that his son was looking after the family business.

“I am a regular tax payer and never delayed paying the tax on the property that I had inherited from my father,” he clarified.

The former chief minister said the returning officer was satisfied with the arguments of his lawyer and accepted his nomination papers.

When contacted, Haji Pervez Khattak, who is the candidate of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) for PK-64, confirmed that he owned the Hoti CNG station but added he had sold out the same to a person he identified as Zakir Khan, a resident of Peshawar, some five years ago.

He said he owned several CNG stations but also rebuffed the reports of being a defaulter.

Haji Pervez Khattak said he was also the vice president of All Pakistan CNGs Associations.

He claimed that the previous Pakistan People’s Party-led federal government had imposed the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess on the CNG stations and companies which run on gas.

He said he the association had challenged the levy in the Supreme Court and the court had gave a verdict in its favour.

Haji Pervez Khattak said that he did not know why the SNGPL had put his name in the defaulters list. He said the returning officer had allowed him to contest poll from PK-64.