SWABI, Oct 20: A large number of Afghan displaced persons (DPs) have asked the US government to accelerate the reconstruction of war-ravaged Afghanistan and disarm the warlords.

While talking with this correspondent on Monday the DPs were of the view that until 2001 when 90 per cent of Afghanistan was under the control of the Taliban there was peace and tranquillity but now warlords had imposed their own rules and the government of Hamid Karzai was not in a position to take action against them.

About 25,000 Afghan displaced persons have been living in two refugee camps of Gandaf and Gohati.

Some of the DPs demanded that the residential areas should be cleared from mines which posed a serious threat to innocent lives.

They called for a expansion of 35,000 International Security Assistance Forces beyond Kabul. The American forces had failed to restore peace in Afghanistan, they added.

The DPs were of the view that moulding of Afghan constitution and preservation of Islamic traditions were the major challenges before the Karzai government.

They criticised the interference of India, Pakistan, Iran, Central Asian Republics, Russia and US in the Afghan affairs. They were also critical on the less representation of Pakhtoons in the Karzai administration.

Rates: The prices of daily commodities have shoot up in the district.

With Ramazan still a week away the shopkeepers and traders have resorted to profiteering.

Butchers have started charging Rs60 for one kilogramme of beef against its official rate fixed at Rs50 per kg.

Gur is being sold at Rs110 to Rs120 instead of the Rs85.

People are of the view that as the government had reduced the price of wheat flour but the mill owners would either flood the market with substandard flour or would create artificial shortage of the commodity.

The price of vegetables have also registered an increase. The price of okra had pushed upward from Rs15 per kg to Rs20 per kg; tomato from Rs20 per kilo to Rs26; potato from Rs10 to Rs12.