21 August 2004	Saturday	04 Rajab 1425

HARIPUR, Aug 20: Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Omar Ayub Khan has expressed concern over the law and order situation in the NWFP and claimed that nobody felt secure in the prevailing circumstances.

Talking to newsmen during a visit to the DHQ hospital, Haripur, to inquire about the health of Haripur tehsil Nazim Iftikhar Khan who was injured in a recent incident of firing, he criticized the provincial and Haripur district governments for their alleged failure to control the crime situation.

Mr Khan claimed that both the MMA government and the Haripur district administration had failed to provide security to people. He alleged that criminals had been given a free hand to play havoc with public peace and tranquillity.

He said criminals were roaming freely without any check or hindrance and because of a lenient attitude of the administration the crime rate had gone up.Mr Khan said attempt on the life of tehsil nazim was an ample proof of loose administration on the part of the district and provincial governments and showed the state of law and order in the district.

He asked the chief minister and the district nazim to quit their offices if they could not ensure the writ of law. About the water supply scheme, the parliamentary secretary said he was the first public representative from Hazara who had taken up the issue with the Japanese agency, Jica, and other donors. He said he would persuade Jica and the federal government not to release funds for such projects which could cause negative impacts on the agriculture of Haripur.