LANDI KOTAL: The political agent of Khyber Agency ordered withholding of salaries of all technicians and health workers, who refused to take part in the recently concluded anti-polio vaccination campaign in the tribal agency.

The orders were issued in a meeting, held at Khyber House on Thursday with Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah in the chair. The meeting was attended by Additional Political Agent Ghulam Habib, assistant political agents of Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal and officials of health and education departments.

The political agent directed the departments concerned to initiate inquiries against those, who had willfully abstained from the three days vaccination campaign which was conducted in all the three sub-divisions of Khyber Agency from March 24 to March 26.

Sources said that that Mr Shah took serious exception to the alleged boycott of health workers and anti-polio technicians despite release of their three months salaries by the authorities before the start of the campaign.

He directed the authorities concerned to show no leniency towards those health workers, who refused to take part in the anti-pollo campaign.

He asked for more stringent measures to make the vaccination campaign a success.

The health officials informed the meeting that the three days campaign was conducted peacefully and the target of vaccinating more than 120,000 children was achieved without any resistance.

The meeting decided to reward the health workers, who showed punctuality and commitment to their job during the vaccination campaign.

TRADERS: The traders and shopkeepers in Landi Kotal on Thursday threatened to observe a shutter down strike if the local administration failed to recover one of their abducted colleagues.

Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday evening abducte d Irfan Khugakhel when he was on his way home from Landi Kotal Bazaar.