HANGU, May 8: The Sunni Supreme Council has given a call for a strike in the district on Tuesday in protest against non-payment of compensation to people affected by Feb 9 riots. The council also announced to block the Kohat-Parachinar road and suspend work on the Hangu-Sumari-Kohat road, being constructed on voluntary basis.

A 12-member jirga of Sunni and Shia sects also met on Monday but could not reach a decision to end the deadlock.

Sources said the political agent of Orakzai Agency, Sher Alam, and Federal Minister Dr G. G. Jamal were holding meetings with elders of the two sects to defuse the situation.

Eyewitnesses said army and militia troops were conducting joint patrol to maintain peace in the area.

The sources said the army had been put on standby and the militia had taken positions to handle any untoward incident during the strike. Police had also made arrangements to ensure law and order in the city and police and paramilitary forces would patrol the main road and other sensitive points in armoured personnel carriers, they added.