PESHAWAR: In a rare display of dissent, members of the treasury benches in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly staged a symbolic walkout during Monday’s session, protesting the non-payment of oil and gas royalties owed to the Kohat region.
Raising the issue on a point of order, Kohat MPA Dawood Shah highlighted the division’s annual oil and gas production capacity of Rs400 billion. Despite this significant contribution, Shah lamented the absence of an oil refinery or marketing company in the region, along with the persistent lack of clean water.
“In my constituency, people and animals share the same water sources,” Shah revealed. Expressing frustration, he demanded accountability for billions in unpaid royalties and questioned where else he could voice his constituents’ grievances if not in the assembly. Shah announced a walkout and urged other divisional MPAs to join him, exiting the hall in protest.
Deputy Speaker requested Law Minister Aftab Alam and opposition member Adnan Khan to placate the disgruntled members.
K-P Excise and Taxation Minister Sajjad Khan supported Shah’s concerns, acknowledging the chief minister’s recent increase of the gas royalty allocation from 10% to 15%. He assured the assembly that despite financial challenges, this year’s 15% royalty would be directed to Kohat Division. However, he attributed delays in payments to the federal government, noting that only 20% of funds allocated for merged districts had been released over four years.
Khan criticised federal control over resources like gas royalties, tobacco cess, and net hydel profits, accusing successive governments of neglecting Pashtuns and ignoring historical injustices. Drawing parallels with the treatment of Bengalis before partition, he warned against repeating past mistakes.
“The violence and mistreatment inflicted on us have no parallel, not even in Palestine,” Khan stated, calling for peace and equitable treatment for the Pashtun community.
Story by
Shahida Parveen
