MANSEHRA, April 15: The district police officer for Mansehra, on the directives of the federal government, has given a three-day ultimatum to the farmers of Kala Dhaka and Oghi Tehsil to destroy the poppy crop, otherwise strict action would be taken against them, sources told Dawn.

DPO Waqas Nazeer, convened a jirga of tribal elders of Kala Dhaka and Oghi Tehsil in his office and denounced the cultivation of poppy in the tribal belt, including Darband, Nika Pany, and Shahian.

The jirga, which was attended among others by district naib nazim for Mansehra Mufti Kafaitullah and tehsil nazim of Oghi Laiq Khan, assured their full support to the district police in this regard and said that they would try their utmost to resolve the issue peacefully.

They said: “We will go to the poppy farmers to convince them to destroy their crops voluntarily as it is a matter of disgrace for the country.”

The elders of Kala Dhaka demanded compensation and said if the same was not paid to farmers then the operation to destroy the crop would not be an easy task for the administration as poppy was the only source of livelihood for the people living in the backward and neglected area of Kala Dhaka.

The DPO, while assuring the jirga to convey their demands and proposals to the government, said: “The government wants elimination of poppy crop at all costs and you should cooperate with us in this regard.”