LANDI KOTAL: Over a dozen armed men wearing military uniform kidnapped a senior doctor in Jamrud early on Thursday.

An official in the know said senior field monitoring officer of the anti-polio campaign at Jamrud Civil Hospital Dr Shaukat was kidnapped from his Nawayabad house when he was asleep along with his family.

He said the local political administration had registered a case of the kidnapping and began investigation.

The official, however, said the doctor`s whereabouts were unknown by Thursday night.

Also in the day, health workers observed a token protest in Jamrud against the kidnapping and threatened to boycott the ongoing anti-polio vaccination campaign over their poor security.

They also demanded early recovery of the abductee.

Meanwhile, unidentified people fired gunshots on Khasadar personnel in Malagori sub tehsil of Jamrud.

They, however, fled after Khasadar personnel returned fire.

No damage to human life was reported in the firing.

TRIBESMEN PROTEST: The anti-polio vaccination campaign in parts of Zakhakhel area of Landi Kotal tehsil was temporarily suspended on Thursday when hundred of local residents demonstrated against the excessive power loadshedding and acute shortage of drinking water in their area.

Thursday was the first day of the three days antipolio campaign in Landi Kotal, where health officials said they would try to reach out to 50,000 children under the age of five.

Hundreds of Azamkhel, Daleelkhel, Shudankhel and Ismailkhel tribesmen demonstrated against the prolonged loadshedding and the subsequent acute shortage of drinking water.

The protesters stopped health workers from administering anti-polio drops to children in Sultankhel and Sheikhwal areas.

They, however, allowed vaccinators to do the duty after the local officials assured them of early resumption of electric supply as well as provision of drinking water through water tankers.

Local elders Malik Abdullah, Malik Zarrawar Khan and Lajbar Khan warned the anti-polio vaccination campaign would be disrupted again if the local administration didn`t fulfil its assurances.