KALAYA, Jan 3: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has warned of stern action against all those tribesmen who are found involved in giving shelter to Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters escaping from Afghanistan.

The government would take a tough action against all those tribesmen who provided shelter to Taliban and Al-Qaeda men in the tribal belt, the governor said, urging them to hand over any captured suspect to the government without delay.

The governor was speaking at two different tribal Jirgas held at Kalaya and Ghiljo Tehsils of the Orakzai Agency during his visit to the area.

He assured the Jirga members that the government would do its best to bring the less-developed and neglected areas of the Orakzai Agency on a par with the developed parts of the country in accordance with the aspirations of the people.

The government would try to come up to the expectations of the area people who had rendered a great service to the country and the nation by consolidating the border with Afghanistan.

Appreciating the spirit of awareness among the people to develop the tribal areas, the governor said that a grid station would shortly start functioning in the Ghiljo tehsil to supply electricity to the area. But, he said, the electricity would be provided only to those tribesmen who paid utility bills.

He urged the Jirgas that it was a national obligation on them to allow installation of power meters in the tribal areas and pay regular bills to Wapda because the organization had already a huge amount of power dues outstanding against the area people.

The Wapda had decided not to supply electricity to the people who did not pay utility bills, the governor added.

He said that a small water reservoir would soon be built in the Orakzai Agency to provide irrigation water to the farmers of the area.

The governor announced a donation of Rs100,000 each for the two Jirgas and gave away 20 lungis (turbans) to the elders.

Tribal leaders, speaking on the occasion, said that President Pervez Musharraf would be fully supported by the people of the tribal area in case of any eventuality. The tribal people would not hesitate to render sacrifices for the integrity and solidarity of the country, they added.

Earlier, the governor was received on his arrival at the agency by the Political Agent, Dr Tashfeen, and tribal notables.