Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has disclosed that gas theft worth Rs 8 billion is taking place annually in Kohat division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Natural Resources, the petroleum minister asked the provincial government to at least meet 50 per cent of the losses from gas theft. He said there is no writ of the provincial government in Karak, Kohat and Hangu and massive theft is going on.
PTI MNA Nasir Khattak said that the provincial government spent Rs 400 million on the construction of High Court Judicial Complex and Rs 2 billion on Karak and Swabi Universities from the 10 per cent share of royalty received from Kohat, Karak and Hangu gas fields.
The PTI MNA from Karak said that while the provincial government gets royalty on oil and gas, it never spends it on the gas producing areas. He said during the current year the provincial government received Rs 12 billion under gas development surcharge but nothing was given to the producing districts. The petroleum minister said it was the duty of the provincial government to give share of royalty to the concerned districts.
Abbasi said that the prime minister during his visit to Iran told the Iranian leadership that international sanctions were hindering the implementation of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. He said there is possibility of movement on the IP gas pipeline project.
