11 February 2005	Friday	01 Muharram 1426

LANDI KOTAL, Feb 10: Authorities in Landi Kotal destroyed poppy crop over an area of 216 kanals in two different localities in Loe Shalman, some 25km from here, during a two-day operation, an official said.

Political moharar of Landi Kotal Bismillah Khan said the contraband was cultivated over an estimated area of 102 and 114 kanals in the remote villages of Shanelee and Samsai, respectively.

He said that two different contingents of the khasadar force were sent to the area to destroy the banned crop forcibly after area elders refused to uproot their crops voluntarily.

The khasadar force also arrested half a dozen residents when they tried to stop the force from destroying their standing crop.

The men held in custody were later released once the task of poppy destruction was accomplished, Bismillah Khan said.

The campaign against poppy would continue for two weeks "as we have reports that some other localities of Loe Shalman also have standing poppy crop".

The authorities are in contact with the elders of Bazar, Brag and Karamna in the Zakhakhel area to persuade them to voluntarily destroy their poppy crops, officials in Landi Kotal said.

There are reports of large-scale poppy cultivation in the three localities referred to above but the authorities are avoiding use of force due to inaccessibility of the area. There, complete writ of the political administration has not been established, officials said.