Kohat division: Loya Jirga vows to launch protest movement for rights soon

KARAK: The Loya Jirga, a forum of opposition lawmakers from Kohat division, on Sunday decided to launch a protest movement soon after the end of national emergency declared by the government to combat coronavirus.

The Loya Jirga held here with its chairman and Member Provincial Assembly Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel in the chair announced that they would not waste more time as the talks with the government did not yield any positive results.

MPAs Malik Zafar Azam and Shah Dad, former members National Assembly Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz and Shamsur Rehman, central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Rehmat Salam Khattak and others addressed the jirga.

The speakers criticised the government for not fulfilling the pledges made with the members of the Loya Jirga some two months ago. They claimed that Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, who was the government’s negotiation team leader, had until now not honoured a single promise.

The jirga members maintained that they had given enough time to the government for fulfilling promises for resolution of the problems being faced by the people of Kohat division. They said that huge reserves of oil and gas had been discovered in Kohat division but the government backtracked from its pledges to give rights to the people.

The lawmakers also alleged that the oil and gas exploration companies and bureaucracy were hands in glove due to which the companies were reluctant to resolve the problems. The jirga said that they had no other option but to halt supply of oil and gas and stop the work of the companies.