GHALANAI, Jan 6: Two children died and several others got seriously affected as measles broke out in the remote areas of Haleemzai tehsil of Mohmand Agency.

Residents said that a minor girl, identified as daughter of Idrees Khan, died in the Sultan Khel village of Haleemzai, while a nine-month-old boy, identified as son of Riaz Khan, died in Ghazi Kor village after the epidemic broke out in the area.

Two local tribesmen, Shah Mahmood and Sheraz Khan, told Dawn that 10 more children in Sultan Khel, Ghazi Kor and Babi Khel villages were also affected by measles.

The locals said that the health department had not sent any teams to the area to provide medical care to the affected children. The patients were shifted to private clinics in the area, they added.

Agency surgeon Dr Dawood Khan told Dawn that the department had not received any information of measles breakout in the area. He, however, said the health department will send medical teams and medicines if any case was reported from there.

SHOPKEEPERS ARRESTED: Owners of six shops selling CDs and mobile phones were arrested on Sunday.

Political tehsildar Haleemzai Sahmasul Islam raided the CDs and mobile shops in Ghalanai, Chanda and Main Mandi bazaars and arrested six shopkeepers, who allegedly possessed un-Islamic and anti-state videos. They were sent to the lock-up. The action was taken on the directives of Mohmand Agency political agent Dr Amber Ali Khan

TEACHERS ABSENT: Ghalanai assistant political agent Jamshed Khan along with tehsildar Haleemzai Shamsul Islam paid a surprise visit to the government middle school for boys in Atto Khel and found six teachers absent from duty. Jamshed Khan ordered action against the absent teachers.

It will be mentioned here that about 170 students of the school have so far migrated to another school in the area for want of teachers.