Ogra’s decision to increase gas tariff

Extra burden on militancy-hit people of KP: Sherpao

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Aftab Sherpao on Sunday denounced decision of Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (Ogra) about 38 percent increase in gas tariff in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab and termed it an extra-burden on the militancy-hit people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking at a gathering in Hayatabad, the QWP chief said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province had been generating gas more than its requirement.

Prominent political figure from Charsadda Muhammad Younis along with his family members and friends joined the party on the occasion.

“Ogra should devise a strategy to control gas theft and non-gas consumer issues by itself and it should not penalise poor people due to its own inefficiency and poor management,” Aftab Sherpao maintained.

The QWP chief maintained that gas theft and other issues had been surfacing because of the hurdles being created by gas companies in provision of meters and new connections to the consumers.

He added that increase in gas tariff would add fuel to the fire because the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were already facing menace of terrorism and unemployment.

He termed the decision a sheer injustice and asked the federal government to declare it null and void as it would further increase miseries of the common people. He paid tributes to sacrifices of Shuhada-e-Sherpao and said that their blood would not go waste. He asked the government to establish a trust for the heirs of victims of terror incidents.