PESHAWAR, Dec 13: Speakers at a seminar have urged people to follow the teachings of Islam in letter and spirit to avoid contracting HIV/Aids.

"Only by practising Islam, we can protect ourselves and our generation from the deadly ailment of HIV/Aids which has killed millions of people across the globe," said Naib Nazim Dr Iqbal Khalil while addressing a one-day seminar organized by a local NGO, Society for Human Rights and Prisoners Aid, to sensitise people about HIV/Aids, here at the Government Children Hospital on Monday.

He said the HIV/Aids was a curse to those who were involved in illicit sexual relations and advised men to restrict themselves to their wives and discourage men-to-men relation in this regard.

The Naib Nazim said Unicef had recently launched an info-kit for religious scholars which aimed at promoting Islamic way of life among the Muslims and asked prayer leaders to lay emphasises on the subject in Friday's sermons.

Dr Khalil said there were reports that truck drivers indulged in sex acts with their cleaners during long journeys, which increased their chances of getting the incurable infection.

Unicef's representative Sajjad Hussain said on the occasion that his organization was making plans at local level to put brakes on the spread of the disease. He also asked transporters to avoid drugs and sex acts out of wedlock to get protection against the disease.

Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, a paediatrician, said the HIV/Aids was not fully curable and some anti-retroviral drugs were available, which were extremely expensive. He said the children of HIV/Aids patients, who were dead now, faced extreme hatred among the community and even their close relatives did not meet them.

Dr Hafiz Saeed, medical superintendent of the children hospital, said awareness of the disease was very important because only preventive measures could help save the people.

Shah Wazir, president of the truck drivers association, said that most of his colleagues were unaware of the problems which caused the disease. He expressed concern that there would be some patients of HIV/Aids among drivers, because some of them were involved in maintaining illicit relations with their conductors.

However, he said that such seminars provided information to the drivers, which would go a long way to raise the level of awareness about the ailment. Sheraz Khan advocate on the occasion announced that the society would provide free counselling and testing facilities to the people to help control the disease.

Sirajul Haq, Nazim of Hayatabad locality, said educated people should wage a war against the disease. It could become threat like in India if timely measures were not taken immediately. Later, a walk was also held which was attended by a large number of people.