PESH AWAR: The traders and political parties have rejected hike in gas tariff and demanded of the federal government to withdraw its decision as it will affect poor consumers and business community.

Anjuman-i-Tajiran president Sharafat Ali Mubarak said that hike in gas tariff would cause financial crisis for the low income group and govern-ment should withdraw the decision at the earliest.

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was already facing problems owing to militancy and it was duty of the government to give relief to the people instead of increasing price of utilities.

Similarly, Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Sunday denounced decision of Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (Ogra) regarding 38 per cent increase in gas tariff in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces and termed it sheer injustice.

Addressing a party meeting here on Sunday,he said theincreaseingas tariff would be another burden on the militancy-hit people of KhyberPakhtunkhwa and entire responsibility of its consequences would rest with the federal government.

On the occasion prominent political figure from Charsadda Mohammad Younas along with his family members and friends joined QWP.

Mr Sherpao said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province had been generating gas more than its requirements. `Ogra should devise a strategy to control gas theft. It should not penalise poor people for to its inefficiency and poor management,` he added.

The QWP chief said that gas theft and `non-gas consumer issues` were surfacing because of the hurdles being created by gas companies in provisionof gas meters and new gas connections to the consumers.

He termed the decision sheer injustice and asked federal government to declare it null and void as it would add to miseries of common people.

PPP provincial general secretary Humayun Khan also described the decision of federal government an unwise step and said that it should be withdrawn immediately. He said that federal government should keep in view the problems being faced by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

An official of SNGPL, when contacted, said that the decision by federal government would be an injustice with the consumers as the tariff would be revised during winter sea-son when complaints about over-billing were common. For time being, he said, the increase in price of gas was announced for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Gas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was sufficient but gas theftcausedits shortage,he said,addingthatitneededjoint efforts byfederal and provincial governments and law enforcement agencies to overcome gas theft.

`We have not received details about the hike in gas price so far but it is sure that the decision has been taken by Ogra,` the official said. He added that it was up to the provincial government to raise voice against the injustice.

He said that 27 per cent hike in gas tariff was injustice because it was gen-erated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Punjab would have to afford it because it had to depend on other provincesin that regard.

The ofhcialsaidthatfederalgovernment was taking loans from International Monetary Fund under some conditions and imposition of Rs40 billion taxes, withholding tax and increase in gas tariff were parts of the agreement but its ultimate sufferer would be the poor nation.

The official pleading his anonymity said that provincial government should raise voice against the Ogra`s decision and also work for setting up oil refinery in the province because it was producing sufficient crude oil, mainly in southern districts.