MANSEHRA, March 9: People of three Balakot villages have threatened to boycott the upcoming general elections as a protest against the local lawmakers for ignoring their quake-devastated area during the last five years.

“We will neither allow the contenders in our villages for canvassing nor will we caste our vote in coming election, as the local lawmakers have kept our areas deprived of development during last five years,” said Sardar Abdul Ghani, former union nazim Hungrai, while speaking at a press conference here on Saturday.

A group of people of Ban, Nikah and Bacha villages, led by Mr Ghani, apprised the media persons of their problems and the government’s apathy to solve them.

Mr Ghani said that not a single public welfare scheme was executed in their areas under the current government.

The former nazim said that people of this area had taken active part in 2008 general election, but were kept deprived of their basic rights which compelled them to announce boycott of coming general election. He also warned the politicians/contenders not to visit their villages otherwise they themselves would be responsible for any loss. He said that their villages were badly affected in 2005 earthquake, but the local lawmakers did not pay heed to rebuild the devastated infrastructure.

RESIGNATION: State minister for special education and training Sardar Shahjehan Yousuf has said that Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has not yet accepted his resignation from the party.

Talking to media persons here on Satrurday, he said that he had not yet decided to join Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, like his father Sardar Mohammad Yousuf did recently.

“It was my father’s personal decision to join the PML-N, but I have not yet made up my mind to join the PML-N yet,” Mr Yousuf said and brushed aside media reports in this regard. —Correspondent