Summary The money was disbursed in a few constituencies where by-elections were held
Dunya News Report (Jibran Dost)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday called for an agricultural emergency to be imposed across the country.
“I demand that the rulers impose an agriculture emergency in the country with immediate effect,” said the Vice Chairman while addressing a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad.
He said that the Rs 341 billion Kissan Package declared by the government has been renamed to ‘Fraud Package’ by the farmers, questioning “Where is the Kissan Package?”
Shah Mehmood Qureshi further added that all respective associations representing farmers will present a ‘charter of demands’ in Islamabad on Wednesday and asked that the government should consider their demands.
Farmers have invited Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Khan Bosan. Qureshi further invited ruling party MPs to attend the conference.
Farmers are asking politicians to put aside politics and bond together for the farmers rights, Shah Mehmood added.
With regard to the Rs 5,000 per acre cash grant guaranteed to the farmers through the Kissan Package, Qureshi stated “the money was disbursed in a few constituencies where by-elections were held.”
Earlier this week, talking to the media on the inauguration ceremony of a gas reservoir in Mattni area of Peshawar, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan blamed the federal government for not giving No-Objection Certificate (NoC) to gas companies that have discovered six different locations of gas reservoirs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
According to KP Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited (KPOGDCL) officials, the company Hycarbex of America is looking forward to invest $ 100 million in oil and gas exploration, but the government has been reluctant in giving permission for starting work.
In contrast, Imran Khan on the occasion stated that instead of investing Rs 200 billion on Orange Line project, the federal government should direct investments towards exploration and production of oil and gas reservoirs in KP.
Chairman PTI was accompanied by KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, senior PTI leader Jehangir Tareen, provincial ministers and representatives of the American company.
On the other hand, KPOGDCL officials while updating the PTI chief Imran Khan on the developments expressed that KP has rich sources of oil and gas. The KP government has made serious efforts to create an atmosphere that can draw attention of foreign businesses and international oil exploration companies to the province.
Oil production in two years has increased from 30,000 to 50,000 barrels per day. Gas production has increased from 333 to 400 million cubic feet per day while LPG production from 10 tons per day to 510 tons per day, the officials said.
Out of 21 Petroleum Concession Blocks only three were active in 2013 whereas 20 blocks are being opened for work in 2016.
However, the province still faces as much as 18 hours of gas load shedding. Whereas KP’s major share in electricity generation does not benefit the province as well.
