HARIPUR, Dec 2: The speaker of the NWFP Assembly and a candidate for PF-50, Habib Ullah Khan Tareen, promised on Sunday that he would work to end the politics of hostility and corruption from the district.

Speaking at a news conference, Mr Tareen said that if elected he would ensure the availability of basic facilities in Haripur, including education, health, opportunities of employment and infrastructure development.

Announcing his election manifesto, Mr Tareen said he had served people as provincial education minister and speaker of the provincial assembly during 1990s. He claimed that he had initiated a number of development schemes in the district.

Mr Tareen promised that higher secondary-level education for boys and girls would be provided at union council level. All modern facilities would be provided to the Haripur DHQ hospital, he said, adding that job opportunities would be made available to youths of the district.

Mr Tareen claimed that his opponents were scared of his growing popularity and had been using pressure tactics to force him to stay away from the election.

He alleged that some people from the offices of former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, Governor Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan and a Karachi-based officer of military intelligence had been trying to keep him away from the election.

He also accused the district government of using official resources to run the election campaign of one of his rival candidates. He said he would approach the Election Commission for its intervention in the matter.