JI leader blasts rulers for ‘ignoring’ southern districts

LAKKI MARWAT: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) provincial head Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan on Thursday said that more than Rs500 billion was in the possession of the federal government against the hydro-power royalties.

He said the resource-rich southern districts have been deprived of their rights. He was addressing a sit-in for the rights of Lakki Marwat at Town Complex Tajazai. Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said that unfortunately the rulers sitting in Islamabad were enjoying the resources of the southern districts.

“The Constitution of Pakistan clearly states that the people of the area have the right to natural resources, but unfortunately due to incompetent rulers, the southern districts were deprived of the basic amenities of life despite having natural resources,” he added.

He said that from Kohat Tunnel up to DI Khan and South and North Waziristan districts, people were deprived of health, education, electricity, roads and other facilities, adding that the people and cattle drink water from the same pond in many areas of the districts.

He said that JI had set up a local council for the rights of southern districts and demanded to provide the southern districts with all facilities in CPEC including motorways, railways, special economic zones, 4G and future 5G Internet.

He maintained that the CPEC route from Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan was safe from all kinds of dangers and hence steps be taken to build it safely. He said that oil and gas royalties and a fair share in the national and provincial budgets were the right of the southern districts and oil refineries should be set up.

The JI leader said that the districts and sub-divisions should be given their due share in the annual package, adding that small rain dams should be constructed in all the districts and the damaged ones should be repaired.

The lawmaker said that royalties for valuable minerals such as uranium exploration in Qabulkhel were not being paid to Lakki Marwat.

He said that if the Chashma Right Bank Left Canal was completed, it would not only solve the water problem but also turn the entire province into a grain warehouse and supply grain to other provinces from here but in the present government, the people of the southern districts were deprived of basic amenities and living in the “Stone Age”.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan expressed grave concern over non-availability of oxygen in the major hospitals of the province. He said the health system in the province had been completely paralyzed due to the relatives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.