PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain Shah on Friday contradicted the impression created by some peace committees that government has no contact with 'Aman Lashkars' nor it was providing any assistance to them in their endeavors to fight militants.
He said that it was the provincial government which constituted Community Police, Aman Lashkar and committees to ensure safety to the people's life and property and it was providing complete support to these committees.
Addressing the oath taking ceremony of Nowshera Bar Association, Mian Iftikhar said government was assisting these peace committees in all forms including supplying them weapons to fight militants in their areas.
The minister said the government fully regreted the brutal suicide attack on funeral procession at Adizai but blackmailing the government and creating chaos in the wake of the incident was totally unacceptable.
Mian Iftikhar said he himself during his visit to the blast site met with the brother and son of the former commander of the Lashkar Abdul Malik Shaheed and his successor Dilawar Khan who admitted in front of IGP Fiaz Khan Toru and SP Abdul Kalam that seventy members of the Lashkar were receiving stipend from the government on monthly basis besides necessary weaponry.
He declared it totally wrong that suicide attack in Adizai was on the funeral procession of member of peace committee's relative and said in fact the attack took place during the funerals of a relative of local man, Wakeel.
He said funeral gatherings of members of the peace committees usually take place in confined places but this funeral was in open space in which area people including members of Aman Lashkar were present.
The minister maintained that in past when the capacity of our police was inadequate the need of such peace committees was much essential, however, he added our forces were now well equipped and their capacity has been boosted to a great extent and they were well capable to face any situation.
The government, he said was keeping a vigil eye on the functioning of these peace committees and would never allow miscreants taking the garb of these committees to destabilize peaceful environment of the province.
He underlined the important role of lawyers and judiciary in curbing the menace of terrorism. Minimum punishment for a terrorist should be death sentence, he added.
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