Govt urged to restore old formula for oil, gas royalty in Karak

KARAK: An All Parties Conference rejected the provincial government's new formula for distribution of oil and gas royalty funds of Karak district and asked the government to restore the old formula.

The demand was made at the conference, comprising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), Awami National Party, Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N, held here on Sunday at a local hotel.

The participants claimed that according to the old formula, 50 percent funds were to be given to the resource-producing tehsils and rest of 25 percent to each tehsil of the district. However, they added, the new formula deprived Karak and Banda Daud Shah tehsils of their rights.

Meanwhile, MPA Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel also criticised the recent decision about new formula implementation. He added that the extra funds for the oil and gas producing tehsils were meant to provide basic facilities to the dwellers of the areas where the exploration works were being carried out.

He further said the residents of oil and gas producing areas were facing different kinds of diseases due to the exploration activities and locals have complained that there were no healthcare facilities for them, particularly for women.

He demanded the government to withdraw the decision and restore the old formula for the distribution of oil and gas among the three tehsils, otherwise they would organise a series of protests.