June 13, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 27, 1428

PESHAWAR, June 12: The Khyber Agency chapter of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) on Tuesday warned the government that it would forcibly stop polio vaccination campagin if their demands for development of the area were not met.

“We know polio vaccination is beneficial for our children, but we will stop it to invite attention of civilized and developed societies to the lack of basic facilities in our area,” said JUI-F Khyber Agency general secretary Syed Kabir Khan Afridi.

Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar press club, he said the authorities concerned were not interested in resolving the problems.

Holding some influential people and Wapda employees responsible for power outages, he said that power breakdowns had made the lives of people difficult, particularly children and patients.

“The influential people have taken two to four power connections from transmission lines while the corrupt Wapda authorities have remained silent spectator over such illegal practices,” he said.

He accused Khyber Agency MNA Noorul Haq Qadri of meting out step-motherly treatment to the people of Jamrud tehsil by not raising the electricity problems.

He said that the MNA had installed a separate transmission line and transformers for his native Landi Kotal town.

“Either the federal government should take interest in problem-solving or it (Khyber Agency) should be merged in the NWFP,” he remarked.

He also urged NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai and the agency’s Political Agent to resolve the problems.

He warned of blocking the Pakistan-Afghan Highway and lay siege to the Governor’s House if their demands were not met.