KHAR: Bajaur Agency political agent Abdul Amir Khattak has called upon the elders to support the administration in resolving local disputes to ensure peace and economic well-being of the tribesmen.

He was speaking at a function at Amankot area here the other day to reconcile two warring tribes of Khar. Tribal elders, political activists and religious leaders were in attendance. Assistant political agent Arif Khan was also present on this occasion.

Mr Khattak said that tribal clashes not only disturbed peace in the region, but also af fected the socioeconomic condition of the agency.

He asked the elders and religious leaders to play their due role in resolving the longstandinglocaldisputes.

He lauded the tribal elders for helping to resolve the longstanding dispute between the rival tribes, adding that jirga system was the best and cheapest dispute resolution mechanism.

The dispute between Zahid Khan and Bashir Ahmed groups lasted for years, claiming several lives from both thesides.

Speaking at the ceremony, the elders vowed to step up their efforts to resolve local disputes through peaceful means.

ALLOWANCE FOR POLIO DUTY: Personnel of Bajaur Levies guarding polio teams on Thursday complained about non-payment of their polio duty allowance for the past several years and demanded of the relevant authority to release their outstanding dues.

Talking to this scribe, a group of Levies men said that the government had approved the allowance for the Levies personnel providing security to the polio teams in the agency.

They said that the payment had been stopped for the last few years for unknown reasons.

They pointed out that the same allowance had regularly been paid to the teachers and health workers.

Some of personnel blamed the local administration for not paying their allowances.

They appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and additional chief secretary Fata to order payment of the allowances and dues to the relevant officials.