PESHAWAR: Local government representatives have expressed concern over the uncontrolled dengue virus in parts of Peshawar and announced to call a jirga of political leaders on Sept 15 at Spin Jumaat here to devise strategy for coping with the epidemic.

The decision was taken at a meeting here on Tuesday, according to a statement.

Former MPA Attif-ur-Rahman Khalil, PTI representative Pir Fida Advocate, PML-N leader Arbab Khizar Hayat, ANP representative Dad Khan and JUI-F leader Maulana Amanullah Haqqani were in attendance.

They claimed that due to spread of dengue about 30 people had lost lives so far but the government departments were hiding the figures. They also expressed reservations over the method of anti-dengue spray and said it was substandard which failed to control the epidemic.

The hospitals, they said could not provide proper medical treatment to the growing number of patients and the poor people were crying for government’s support. Majority of the dengue-affected people, they said belonged to PK-5 constituency where fumigation was also conducted but it had no positive affects and number of patients was fast increasing.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2017