Leaders of different political parties from district Karak have expressed reservations over the construction of an oil refinery proposed at a place of Khushhal Garh and threatened agitation against the provincial government for replacement it with Krapa area, Kohat.
Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, Rahmat Salam Khattak, General Secretary of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former provincial minister for prison, Mian Nisar Gul, said they would never compromise on replacement of the place (Khushhal Garh) for the construction of refinery with Krapa.
They alleged that the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had changed the venue for the oil refinery from Krapa on the pretext of water dearth but in it wanted to appease land owners in Khushhal Garh for which it had already imposed Section 4 to stamp the area.
They claimed that water shortage issue had already surfaced in the start of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) in KP’s government in the province for which a technical committee headed by Senior Minister Sikander Khan Sherpao had been formed to inspect the area (Krapa-Kohat) whether or not there was water dearth and it declared the area suitable for establishment of oil refinery after a complete survey.
The KP government, they said, had promised to construct the oil refinery on the said area (Krapa), but unfortunately, it backed out and changed the area. They blamed that KP Chief Minister Pervez Khan Khattak wanted to construct the company in district Nowshera but due to pressure he changed the decision.
The Khushhal Garh, they informed, was far away from oil and gas generating areas (Karak) and cost more expenses on pipelines and oil by tankers to the refinery than Krapa. “Rupees 20billion oil has already been stolen in connivance with bureaucrats, police and officials while Khushhal Garh is tantamount to providing further chance to the pilferers,” they blamed.