Residents forcibly halt work on gasline project in Bannu.

Bannu -- Jirga of bakakhel, Janikhel, and other tribes here on Friday halted work on installing a pipeline within the boundaries of bannu district and asked in writing that the local people be given natural gas as soon as possible. according to jirga members, natural gas was discovered in Mir ali tehsil in north Waziristan, and the government was installing a pipeline via the bannu area. They said that the residents of bannu should be given priority access to natural gas, or else they would not allow the government to lay the gas pipeline in their respective areas. They requested that the government guarantee the pledge in writing. Workers from all political parties have joined forces to collectively fight for the rights of all tribes residing in bannu, regardless of political affiliation. The jirga members said the inhabitants of bakakhel had halted development on the gas pipeline since the government has failed to honour previous promises made to them. They stated that they would allow the pipeline to be built if the government promised and produced written proof that the natural gas discovered in north...