CHITRAL, April 16 The District Peace Committee has appealed to TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad to cancel his proposed visit to the district, saying that there was an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in the district.

A meeting in this regard was held here on Thursday. It was presided over by Provincial Minister for Population Welfare Saleem Khan and attended by District Nazim Maghfirat Shah, Tehsil Nazim Mastuj Shahzada Sikandar, district heads of all political parties, representatives of civil society organisations and officers of law enforcement agencies.

The participants said that the Maulana would be invited by the political parties to the district later. The members were unanimous in their demand that injustice and corruption must be weeded out from government offices.

Members from civil society expressed concern over alleged injustices and corruption in government departments and unbridled price hike in the area. They feared that estranged segments of the society would not play their due role in maintenance of peace and would provide a chance of intrusion to infiltrators.

Most of mineral resources in the district had been leased out to outsiders and it had created anxiety and apprehensions among the locals which could lead to the breach of peace, they added. They demanded of the government to cancel lease agreements.

Some of the members pointed out unnecessary and unwarranted checkposts in the district which created hurdles for people and demanded abolishment of Mirkhani and other checkposts.