Basic facilities for Kohat Shakardarra people

Source Dawn

The Kohat division commissioner has asked the Oil and Gas Development Company to provide basic amenities of life to the people of Shakardarra area under an agreement.

Speaking at a meeting by OGDC officials on Tuesday, Jalal ud Din said Shakardarra needed attention in welfare projects as the company had been pumping huge quantity of oil and gas from the area for years. He asked the officials to solve the longstanding problem of water shortage, construct roads and compensate farmers for damages.

He said the people of Shakardarra had been demanding end to the ‘exploitation’ by the OGDCL and provision of basic facilities under the ‘water for oil’ agreement. “They have also been demanding jobs for their unemployed youth, health facilities and schools,” said the commissioner.

He said the local people had been fetching water from the Indus River which is miles away from Shakardarra. He said water supply schemes were lying dysfunctional due to low electricity voltage.

Oil refinery right of Karak: PTI

Source Dawn

The local PTI lawmakers have resolved to take up the issue of shifting of the proposed oil refinery from Karak to Kohat in parliament. They said the decision would pitch the people of the two districts against each other.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, PTI MPA Gul Sahib Khan said the shifting of the project from Karak to any other area was against the national and international laws as 75 per cent of oil and gas reserves were discovered in Karak. “This mega project is the right of the people of Karak,” he said. He said the lawmakers from Karak would not compromise on the rights of the people.

He said the government should establish a world class research institute of petrochemicals in the Khushal Khan Khattak University in Karak to reap long term benefits from the oil and gas reserves.

PTI MPA Malik Qasim told Dawn that he had talked to the party MNA from Karak Nasir Khan Khattak in this regard and that he had proposed that the oil refinery should be established on the border with Kohat to facilitate the people of both the districts.

The lawmaker said construction of a canal from Indus River to Karak had been included in the Annual Development Programme of the province. “The canal, once completed, will bring a green revolution to the district, changing lives of the people for the better,” he said.

Kohat varsity increases semester fee

Source Dawn

The University of Science and Technology, Kohat, has increased the semester fee by Rs4,000, prompting the students to announce a protest sit-in outside the governor house on Thursday.

Moreover, the university administration asked the students, who had boycotted papers of the last semester to deposit Rs10,000 for each subject.

However, the students have strongly opposed the increase in fee, saying most of them belong to poor families and therefore, cannot afford to pay high fee.

Recently, the university introduced a fifth semester for the students who got lower grades in the regular four semesters. It fixed Rs7,000 for each paper in the new semester, provoking the students to boycott examinations.

Five people killed during the accident on Darra road

Source Dawn

Five people were killed and 16 injured in a road accident in Darra Adamkhel on Sunday.

According to deputy administrator’s office for FR Kohat here, a pick-up van (No 8887) and a coaster (No 5656) collided on the Indus Highway, resulting in instant death of a boy, Tariq. Four other people who died on way to hospital included Ehsanullah and Arsalan, residents of Charsadda; and Ziarat Khan and Badshah of Khyber Agency.

Condition of two of the injured is stated to be critical. The injured were taken to Zarghunkhel basic health unit from where they all were referred to Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar.

Due to shortage of doctors and first-aid equipment wounds of none of the injured could be stitched in Darra Adamkhel.

Two people killed during weeding firing in Kohat

Source Dawn

Two people were killed and two others, including the groom, were injured in celebratory gunfire at a wedding party in Warshand area here on the night between Saturday and Sunday.

The Lachi police said that some participants in the marriage ceremony of Shabbir started firing into the air, which resulted in the killing of Amjid (3) and Niaz Ali, while the groom Shabbir and a guest Nawaz were injured.

The police registered a case against the groom and have started investigation.

Forces continue hunt for Hangu MPA’s killers

Source Dawn

The security forces blew up a private torture cell on Hangu bypass road on Sunday in the continuing operation against extremist groups involved in the killing of PTI MPA Fareed Khan.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of SP, Hangu, Sajid Khan. However, the killers of the lawmaker, who was ambushed on June 3, could not be arrested so far.

The SP told Dawn that the hunt was still on to capture the killers and the head of the militant group Mulllah Nabi Hanafi.

Police said that Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan activists had destroyed the main training camp of militants belonging to Mullah Hanafi group in Bagato area of Hangu. The camp was reportedly established a few years ago.

Officials said that Mullah Hanafi’s was the same group which was involved in cases of kidnapping for ransom and killing of truck drivers on Parachinar road for three years.

After killing of the PTI MPA, over 18 suspected people were arrested, but most of them had been released after initial interrogation.

Two minors killed in Kohat roof collapse

Source The News

Two minors were killed and two women sustained injuries in a roof collapse at Lalgarhi village in the limits of Saddar Police Station on Sunday, sources said.The sources said that the roof of a room in Saeed Mahmood’s house collapsed at Lalgarhi village, leaving two minors dead on the spot while two women were injured.One Laiba was among the dead while the identity of the injured women could not be ascertained. The injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kohat.

5,550 kg of explosives defused in Kohat

Source The News

The police defused explosive material weighing 5,550 kilograms here on Thursday, an official said. Talking to reporters, in-charge Bomb Disposal Unit Saadat Habib said the police stopped a truck (E-8454) loaded with fruit at Mansoorgarh Checkpost in Banda Daud Shah Tehsil of Karak district on Wednesday. He said during search, the police recovered 5,550 kilogram explosives, 10 gas cylinders, six improvised explosive devices (IEDs) each weighing five kilogram, 50-metre-long detonator cord, two lead pieces and a hand-grenade from the truck.

Kohat raid: Kidnapped child recovered

Source Express Tribune

A child who was allegedly kidnapped for ransom by his teacher was safely recovered by police on Friday after a raid on a house in Kohat district.

According to the police, 10-year-old Tanveer Ali was kidnapped four days ago when he left his house to attend a tuition class. The kidnappers later contacted Tanveer’s family and demanded ransom of Rs1.2 million.

A special police team was constituted to recover the child. In Friday’s raid, police recovered Tanveer and arrested his teacher identified as Waqas. During investigation, the teacher said the student had not paid his monthly tuition fee because of which he abducted the child.

Health Deptt employees to boycott anti-polio campaign in Kohat

Source The News

The Health Department officials in the Kohat district have refused to take part in the anti-polio campaign citing security concerns and non-payment of withheld dues of the previous drives.Talking to reporters on Monday, the Paramedics Association’s President Rashid Bukhari and Dr Sameen Jan said the anti-polio workers had not been paid the dues for the last one year.They said the teams had been sent to far-away and difficult areas for vaccination but were not provided proper security. However, a senior official of the district administration said the polio workers would be paid the withheld dues before June 10.

2 women among three killed in road accident near Kohat

Source Geo TV

At least three people including two women were killed and another woman injured in a road accident near Kohat, Geo News reported Thursday.

According to reports, the accident took place on Indus Highway near Lachi when a car and truck collided.

The dead and injured have been taken to a nearby hospital.

PAF official injured in clash with Kohat police

Source The News

An official of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was injured and two others along with a woman were arrested during a raid on a house at the Railway Quarters in the Kohat city on Friday, sources said.

The sources said the Cantonment Police were tipped off that some men along with a woman were present at a house in the Railway Colony and were indulging in objectionable activities. The police raided the house and asked the group to surrender but the accused opened fire on the cops.

The police returned the fire and one of the men identified as Sanaullah Marwat and stated to be a PAF official was injured. The police arrested his two colleagues, Ahmed Saeed and Muhammad Akram, along with a young woman.

The injured man was shifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Kohat in a critical condition. The police registered case against the accused under sections 324, 353 and 109.The accused, Sanaullah Marwat, who hails from Harama Tala village in Frontier Region Lakki Marwat was also arrested along with one Amir Rasheed Bangash, belonging to Hangu, in a carjacking case at a village near Manjiwala Link Road on August 12, 2012. He was later freed on bail.

NAB submits inquiry report against Ogra, OGDCL officials

Source The News

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Thursday submitted an inquiry report about embezzlement in the exploration of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Chanda Oilfield in Kohat in which the bureau had found Rs1015.475 million irregularities in the contract.

The NAB senior investigation officer, Col (retired) Hussain Afridi submitted a final investigation report to a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Qaiser Rashid through Additional Deputy Prosecutor General, Muhammad Jamil Khan in which he claimed the officials of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) had caused a total loss of Rs1015.475 million to the public exchequer in the LPG contract to Foundation Gas (FONGAS).

The court allowed the NAB to proceed against the officials involved in the scam under the relevant provisions and articles of NAB Ordinance and further conducted inquiry if necessary before submitting reference against the officials concerned in the scam.

The high court also directed the federal government to press the ministry concerned to pay royalty on LPG to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. The court also directed the government to prepare proper formula and schedule for LPG royalty payment to the KP.

The court also directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary to form taskforce comprising experts and qualified technocrats to prepare a plan for utilising the funds for the LPG producing areas as the funds were used for social sector development in the area in a justified manner and without political consideration.

However, the bench said the public representatives would also be allowed in the finalisation of the schemes, but the funds would be utilised on merit for development of the people of the area.

On previous hearing, the court had directed the interior division to put the names of chairman of Ogra and several other officials including that of OGDCL on the exit control list (ECL) after an inquiry pointed out irregularities in the exploration of LPG from Kohat oilfields.

The chief justice had taken suo motou notice of the issue after receiving reports that natural gas at different gas fields had been converted into LPG in an illegal manner in Karak and Kohat.

The court had assigned investigation of the issue to NAB and FIA.Later, the NAB and FIA officials informed the court that natural gas could not be converted into LPG and in fact LPG was extracted from the oilfields.

After further investigation on the court’s directives the NAB investigation officer Col Hussain Afridi and Mohammad Irfan, an assistant director of FIA, submitted their inquiry report and stated that they had found several irregularities in exploration of LPG.

The investigation revealed that prior to awarding the contract to FONGAS in 2008, distribution of LPG continued for almost a year in a clandestine manner. It was suspected that an LPG plant, which was earlier set up at Chakwal was shifted to the oilfield in Kohat in an illegal manner. It was alleged that the extraction and distribution deals of LPG also appeared to be in a shady manner. The bench disposed of the suo moto case with the direction to the NAB to proceed with the matter in accordance the law against the officials involved in the scam.

Six-year-old child shot dead in Kohat

Source The Frontier Post

In the area of Surgul suburb of Kohat a six years old child was shot dead on Saturday. Reportedly, Gulzar Khan S/o Mir Afazal resident of Surgul while lodging F.I.R in the Police Station Jerma told that he along with his son Shahzad 6 were en route home,"when we reached near Abu Bakar Masjid, Mr. Abid Mehmood alias Qamar S/O Gul Janan and Tariq Mehmood S/O Ahmad Shah opened fire on us due to which my son shahzad received bullet injuries and died on the spot" 
He added the reason behind the incident was told to be old enmity. 
Police lodged FIR and started investigation of the case.

two people died due to road mishap in Kohat

Source The Frontier Post

Two people died in separate road mishapes in Kohat on Monday, police said.
The first incident occurred near Tehsil Lachi in Chongi area when a speedy tanker bearing Registration no 2754 hit a motor cycle. As a result a local identified as Azhar khan son of Muhammad Ilyas died on the spot while police arrested the tanker driver and lodged FIR against him.
The second misshape took place in the jurisdiction of Jurma Police Station on Doda Road when a speedy passenger Coach hit an aged man known as Rizwan Ullah who breathed his last on the spot.
Police took the coach in its custody and registered report of the incident.

Unhygienic food sent a family to hospital

Source The Frontier Post

After eating chicken Shawarma at a Fast Food Point at Kohat Canntt, six of a family fell prey to food poisoning on Wednesday. A resident of Kohat Cantt Mr. Skaheel Ahmad, accountant WAPDA said that his six family members took fast food from a local fast food point and after eating that food all of his family members who had taken Shawarma were badly affected and were shifted to the local hospital. He requested the Executive of Cantt Board Kohat to take immediate action against those selling unhealthy and contaminated edibles in the cantt area.