In line with the reservations of both people and officials, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has initiated efforts to strengthen police and other law enforcing agencies to combat the militancy and terrorism rather than reliance on peace lashkars and peace committees, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, the KP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the police force was being strengthened in the province. He said two years ago, police lacked the resources to combat the militancy. “The KP government encouraged Peace Lashkars and Committees on the Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA) precedent on these grounds,” he said.
He appreciated the contribution of peace committees and lashkars to combating terrorism in the province. He said the government was determined to extend due support to lashkars who needed assistance in fulfilling their objectives. “70 community police personnel have been deputed with Peace Lashkar leaders and members outside Peshawar,” he said.
Criminal lashkars: However, he said certain elements linked to militants had also become involved in criminal acts and kidnappings for ransom to constitute their own lashkars. He said such acts would not be tolerated.
He said earlier locals welcomed the Taliban, only for the Taliban to become a headache. He said the government had learnt from these experiences and would not allow criminal elements to constitute lashkars and committees. “These lashkars can destablise the writ of the state,” he said.
Responding to allegations by the Bazeedkhel peace lashkar leader, Iftikhar claimed the individual accusing him had political affiliations and hoped to get political benefits from leading a lashkar.” He said the government decided to constitute lashkars on a non-political basis. “The purpose of peace lashkars and committees is to help law enforcers’ combat terrorism,” he said.
Partisanship: However, former Union Council nazim and Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) member Faheem Ur Rehman said the KP government only extended help only to Awami National Party members in peace lashkars and committees. He said his lashkars achievements had been neglected by the government.
The KP Information Minister said the provincial government was trying to gradually reduce the dependency on peace lashkars and committees, with the strengthening of the police force. He said, “the recent achievements of the KP police speak for themselves, scores of terrorist acts have been foiled and hundreds of terrorists arrested.”
