Hurdles to gas project in Mardan: Residents protest against SNGPL, minister

MARDAN: Hundreds of residents from different union councils of provincial assembly constituency of PK-55 on Friday staged protest against the officials of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Mardan region and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan for allegedly creating hurdles in the completion of gas project in the area.

The protesters were led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Saqib Khan, Hamid Safi, Akhtar Munir, Javed Khan, Abid Yousafzai, Ishaq Khan, Sardar Khan and Sher Zaman Takar. Earlier, speaking at a news conference at Mardan Press Club, they said that the main demand of the residences of PK-55 was supply of natural gas. They added that Jamshed Mohmand won the provincial assembly election in 2013 as independent candidate and later joined PML-N.

They added that on 16 October 2016 former federal minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi announced one billion and 41 million rupees package for the supply of gas to the provincial constituency on the directives of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The speakers added that work on 21 kilometer main pipeline was completed two years ago and 60 percent work was completed on 396 kilometers pipeline in the constituency. They said the SNGPL Mardan region gave the tender to the contractor for the remaining works. They alleged that now the SNGPL officials of Mardan region were not releasing work order to the contractor to complete the remaining work.

Speakers said that after the 2018 election when the PTI came into power Member National Assembly (MNA) Ali Mohammad Khan, who belonged to this constituency, became the minister created hurdles in this project. They added that they filed a case in court that ordered the officials of SNGPL to immediately complete the work. They added that despite of the court orders the SNGPL officials were using delaying tactics. They warned that they would stage a sit-in the outside SNGPL offices and residence of Ali Mohammad Khan if the SNGPL Mardan did not complete the remaining work.