KARAK, Nov 4: People of various localities of Chontra area on Monday forcibly stopped supply of crude oil from the OGDCL dehydration plant and blocked the Indus Highway at Noshpa to protest gas suspension and low pressure.

Government schools in Chountra also remained closed due to protest demonstration.

People from Ghundi Mir Khan Khel, Tarkikhel, Badeenkhel and other localities marched from Painda Banda to the OGDCL dehydration plant and staged a sit-in there.

The protesters also blocked the Indus Highway due to which long queues of vehicles were witnessed on the road.

The protesters were led by former Karak tehsil nazim Malik Qudrat Gul, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F district general secretary Maulana Ismael Hagani and Umer Khan.

They chanted slogans against the district administration and SNGPL authorities for not resolving the problem. They complained that they had been facing extremely low gas pressure for past three months, but the elected representatives of the district didn`t pay heed to the issue.

The villagers also criticised the deputy commissioner for being unable to resolve the issue. They said that they took to the streets after failing to make the district administration and SNGPL authorities to improve the gas pressure.

They resolved to extend the protest to the nook and corner of the district till resolution of the problem. The protest was continuing till filing of this report.