MINGORA, Oct 27: A jirga of elders on Sunday opposed the establishment of cantonment in populated area in Khwazakhela tehsil and demanded of the government and other relevant authorities to select a site outside residential area for the project.

The jirga was held here at tehsil mosque in Khwazakhela and attended by elders of Azikhel, Bashrikhel, Jeenkikhel and Matorizai. It discussed matters related to the proposed cantonment.

Speaking on the occasion, the elders, including MNA Saleemur Rahman, MPA Qaimos Khan, Shamshir Khan, Afsar Khan andMohammad Asif, said that they were not against the cantonment, but it should be established away from the populated area.

They said that majority of local people depended on their cultivated land, gardens and farms for their livelihood. They said that the proposed area for the cantonment included both residential and cultivated land.

They said that gardens and farms were the sole source of earning of people of Khwazakhela tehsil.

The jirga demanded of the government and other officials concerned to review their plan and select another suitable site for the cantonment.

When contacted, MNA Saleemur Rahman told Dawn on phone that theresidents of Khwazakhela tehsil were peace loving, adding that this area remained peaceful during militancy in Swat district. He said that Shamak and Teeta Butt areas had been selected for the proposed cantonment, which had largely residential and cultivated land.

The MNA said that the authorities had fixed the price of land at Rs45 per square foot that was a sheer injustice with the residents of Khwazakhela. He said that he would also raise the issue on the floor of National Assembly.

He said that elders of the area would also take up the issue with the prime minister, chief minister and Peshawar corps commander.MERIT VIOLATION: The United Young Nurses Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Sunday alleged that the provincial government had largely ignored male nurses in recent appointments of nurses in the province.

Addressing a press conference here at Swat press club, the association`s provincial chief organiser Arshad Ali and district president Shoukat Zareen said that the government announced over 250 seats of nurses in the province and over 1,000 male and 300 female candidates applied for these posts.

He said that later the government appointed 206 female and only 47 male nurses across the province.