PESHAWAR, June 28: Lakki Marwat District Nazim Humayun Saifullah Khan, while expressing concern over the increasing smuggling of silk cons from the district , has urged federal and NWFP governments to unearth the mafia involved in this illegal practice in order to protect the silk industry and sericulture farming in the area.

He said the government should take the mafia involved in the crime to task to save the silk industry and sericulture farming from collapse. The District Nazim said this while speaking at a cheque distribution ceremony at Sericulture Farm here on Monday.

The District Agriculture Department arranged the function to distribute cheques among farmers and sericulture/silk cones producers. Mr Saifullah said launching of sericulture programme was aimed at eliminating poverty besides enhancing the living standard of rural population, particularly farmers and non-farmers community.

He said now this programme had formally been made part of the Barani Area Project to make it developed in the backward Lakki Marwat district. EDO Agriculture Mohammad Aslam Khan and marketing agent of sericulture in southern districts Shiakh Mohammad Ishaq presented a detailed briefing about the programme.

The ceremony was attended among others by Assistant Director Livestock Dr Gul Rahman, Director of Barani Area Project Dr Malik Ayaz Khan and In-charge of District Forestry Sector Naqibullah Khan. -APP