KHOST, Sept 23: One of the largest Pakhtun tribes in southeastern Afghanistan threatened on Thursday to torch the homes of voters who fail to elect incumbent Hamid Karzai in next month's presidential vote.

"All the Terezay tribes' people should vote for Hamid Karzai...if anyone from Terezay tribe votes for other candidates, the tribe will burn their houses," the tribe warned on local radio in the border province of Khost.

In a tape of the broadcast, the statement urged both male and female members of the tribe to take part in the polls and throw their support behind Mr Karzai, a fellow Pakhtun.

"All of Terezay tribe people, including males and females, have to vote for Hamid Karzai because he is the only suitable person for the presidential post," it said. The Terezays number between 120,000 and 150,000 and are scattered in the mountains of southern and eastern Afghanistan.

Mr Karzai, favourite to win the Oct 9 polls, must draw his support from the same communities that the Taliban militants hail from. The English-speaking transitional leader will race against 17 candidates, among them former education minister, Yunus Qanooni, an ethnic Tajik who enjoys wide support in the north.

Taliban-led militants have threatened to disrupt the polls and attack all 18 candidates. -AFP