Media can help eradicate polio TIMERGARA, Dec 2: Speakers at a workshop on Monday asked mediapersons to assist the government`s expanded programme on immunisation for a healthy society.

The workshop for local journalists was organised by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), a Unicef-funded project on routine EPI social mobilisation in Lower Dir.

SRSP`s district planning, monitoring, evaluation and research officer Sajid Ahmad said SRSP had launched the project to eliminate diseases like measles, smallpox and polio. He said immunisation was the most successful and costeffective public health intervention.

Speaking on the occasion, district health officer Dr Mohammad Rahman Shaheen said Pakistan still had 67 polio cases, out of which, 47 cases had been reported in Fata.

He said emergence of cases was because of parents` refusal to get their children vaccinated. He said police cases detected in Egypt and Syria were traced to Pakistan.

He appealed to mediapersons, civil society and humanitarian organisations to help eradicate polio.Correspondent Man killed on road SWABI, Dec 2: A man was killed and five others were injured when a passenger coach and a pickup van collided near the government degree college for girls here on Monday, police said.

The coach was coming here from Mardan while the pickup was going to Buner.

The incident occurred as over-speeding passenger coach went out of driver`s control at the college bus stop, injuring six passengers. They were taken to district headquarters hospital, where one of them, Gul Rush, succumbed to injuries. The other injured were stated to be in stable condition.

Drivers of both the vehicles escaped the area immediately after the accident, leaving the injured people on the road.

Police said the wounded people registered FIR against both the drivers.

Meanwhile, police arrested four smugglers and recovered five kilogram charas from them during raids on Monday.

The arrested men were Sadiq Mohammad, Shah Faisal, Zahid Khan and Waseem Murad.-Correspondent Seven power thieves jailed PESHAWAR, Dec 2: Raiding parties of Peshawar Electric Supply Company accompanied by police on Monday cut off several illegal connections and arrested 10 alleged power thieves.

A Pesco spokesman said here that seven of the arrested persons were sent to Central Jail, Peshawar, on judicial remand by the Pesco`s special magistrate.

They were identified as Fazli Rabbi of Sarro Kili, Irshad All of Nisata, Amanullah of Ring Road, Syed Gohar Ali of Shahi Baala, Abdullah of Pir Bala, Wahid of Mathra, and Khan Wali of Khatako Pul.

Drive against illegal use of electricity and direct hoolcs would continue, said the Pesco spokesman.-Bureau Report Teachers condemn ban KHAR, Dec 2: All Bajaur teachers association on Monday condemned the local authorities` ban on entry of teachers into the offices of political administration and education deportment during duty hours, and urged immediate lifting of the ban.

The demand was made at a meeting chaired by association`s president Mohammad Dost Khan.

The participants said the ban was violation of teachers` basic rights. They said teachers were the most committed and dutiful lot, and claimed that no teacher got involved in political activities nor they had any attachment with any political party.

They said barring teachers from public offices was not a proper way to ensure presence of teaching staff in the educational institutions, adding a strong monitoring system and check and balance of schools across the agency was required.

They also demanded of the government to provide hard area allowance to teachers.-Correspondent Chitralis reject NHA decision CHITRAL, Dec 2: Civil society organisations and political parties have rejected the schedule announced by the National Highway Authority to open the unfinished Lowari tunnel for only two days in a fortnight.

Speaking at a meeting held here on Monday, leaders of political parties and civil society groups said the decision had sent shockwaves across the district as Lowari tunnel was the only source of contact between the district and rest of the world.

The meeting passed a resolution, demanding of the government to stop widening of the tunnel and construct long span bridges and approach roads on either side of the tunnel during winter so public transport could be allowed through the tunnel.

The participants warned of staging sit-in in Islamabad if their demand was not met.

The speakers included PTI MPA Bibi Fozia, former nazim Maghfirat Shah, Maulana Sher Aziz, Fazle Rahim, Abdul Wali Khan and Maulana Shakoor.-Correspondent ANP rejects allegations LAKKI MARWAT, Dec 2: The ANP`s district organising committee on Monday rejected the allegations of Begum Nasim Wali Khan against party leadership and said Asfandyar Wali was the real heir of Bacha Khan and workers were united under his leadership.

The committee met here with its chairman Liaqat Ali Khan in the chair.

The ANP leaders said with the support of workers they would foil conspiracies against the party and would enable the leadership to overcome the crisis successfully. `Some hidden hands behind Begum Nasim Wali want to harm the political legacy of late Bacha Khan by disintegrating ANP, but they would not succeed,` they vowed.

The participants said Nato supplies blockade by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its coalition partner, Jamaat-i-Islami, might create law and order in the province.

They also asked the party`s provincial leadership to provide membership forms to accelerate the membership drive in the district.-Correspondent Fata students seek scholarships PESHAWAR, Dec 2: Students belonging to different tribal regions on Monday took out a procession from Government College Chowk, and blocked the road outside Peshawar Press Club here over non-payment of scholarships to them.

They were holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands.

Speaking on the occasion, Fata Students Federation president Khan Bahadur Wazir said the government had suspended scholarships without any reason, creating unrest among the poor students. He said the students would observe sit-in outside Governor House if scholarships were not paid to them immediately. `We plan to observe sit-in outside Governor House and Fata Secretariat if our demands aren`t met,` the students` leader warned.

Mr Wazir recalled that the federal government had approved laptop scheme for Fata students, but it was yet to be materialised. He said quota system for Fata students in different colleges was next to nil.-Bureau Report