PESHAWAR, Aug 12: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has stressed the need for constant persuasion to ensure implementation of uniform prayer timings in the province.

Referring to the government's decision to enforce Tanfeez-i-Salaat, the chief minister said that the people should be persuaded to come on board as it was the desire of all sections of the society to determine suitable timings for prayers.

Terming the government's decision a response to people's wish, he said it was part of the Islamization process in the province. The government, he said, was anxious to speed up the process of Islamiazation as the people had backed the MMA on its one- point agenda and that was to mould the individual and collective life in consonance with the Islamic teachings.

He was presiding over a meeting regarding the prayers system at the chief minister's secretariat here on Thursday. Among others Senior Minister Sirajul Haq and Chief Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, participated in the meeting.

The meeting decided to undertake constant persuasive efforts to make everyone understand the idea of performing prayers at a fixed time, adding that ulema and local government officials would be involved to make the people cooperate in this regard.

Deploring the criticism on the imposition of the uniform prayer timings, he said that only vested interests were opposing its implementation. He urged the IGP to ensure protection to the life and property.

Referring to the anti-obscenity drive, the chief minister said that police officers with the ranks of superintendent of police or equivalent would be assigned special duty to monitor the drive's progress.

During the meeting, it was noted that the Nifaz-i- Salaat had been appreciated all over the country. Mr Durrani warned of strict action against officials wherever "obscenity" was not brought under control.