By Admin 
Pakistan has claimed to have found new reserves of crude oil and natural gas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has described this discovery as a big achievement for the country and said that this will strengthen the foreign exchange reserves and reduce the expenditure on oil and gas imports.
Discovery found in Nashpa block of Kohat district
According to Pakistani agencies, oil and gas reserves have been discovered in Nashpa block of Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There is a possibility of extracting about 4,100 barrels of crude oil and 10.5 million cubic feet of gas daily from here.
Hope to reduce dependence on imports
The Pakistani government says that this discovery will help in meeting the country’s energy needs and reduce dependence on imports. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said in a high-level meeting of the petroleum and gas sector that exploration of oil and gas at the local level will strengthen foreign exchange reserves and reduce expenditure on purchases.
OGDCL confirmed
Pakistan’s Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has confirmed the discovery of oil and gas in Nashpa block. Company officials said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has congratulated OGDCL and other concerned agencies for this discovery.
Target of new gas connections by 2026
During the meeting, officials said that sufficient gas has been supplied to the customers this year. Now the government aims to provide 3.5 lakh new gas connections by June 2026. Pakistan is presenting this discovery as a major success in the energy sector.
Resources are there, but questions on development
However, even before this Pakistan has been claiming to find oil and gas reserves in Balochistan. People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan say that the natural resources of their areas are used, but the income from it is not spent on local development.
Why are Khyber and Balochistan backward?
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are still considered quite backward compared to Punjab. Local people allege that Pakistani Punjabis dominate the army, politics and administration, while they do not get the benefits of the resources of their areas. This is the reason why dissatisfaction and opposition have been visible in these areas for a long time.