Adezai Lashkar Chief again airs his grievances against KP Govt -------Mian Iftikhar denies his claim, says Govt providing weapons and salary to 70 of

Adezai Lashkar Chief again airs his grievances against KP Govt
-------Mian Iftikhar denies his claim, says Govt providing weapons and salary to 70 of Lashkar

By Saleem Mehsud

PESHAWAR, March 10 : The Chief of Adezai Peace Committee (Lashkar) Dilawar Khan expressing grave concerns about the treatment being meted out to Peace Committee members has said that provincial government has neither extended any kind of help to the Lashkar members nor provided compensation to the bereaved families.

Talking to a private TV channel, Dilawar Khan said that during the last three years government has not provided a single bullet to the Lashkar members who were at fight with the Taliban who are well equipped and trained in guerrilla warfare, and warned the government if their grievances were not addressed then they would lay down their arms to make peace with Taliban.

“My brother had been killed in Karachi by the militants and my house came under the barrage of rocket and motor shells last year but the provincial government and the officials concerned did not take notice of the incidents,” the chief of Lashkar stated. He said that during the last three years the Lashkar members have lost their businesses and everything due to their fighting and they were fighting the extremists with their own resources.

“With our meagre resources we cannot carry on the war against militancy which has exhausted our resources completely,” Dilawar Khan remarked.

Dilawar Khan lamented that even the IGP and the Commissioner Peshawar have not convened a single meeting with the Lashkar members. We have registered FIRs against some suspected militants but the government is not willing to take action on our advice, Dilawar Khan accused.

Sending alarm bell to the provincial government, Dilawar Khan warned that if their members were not provided minimum resources and compensation to the Adezai suicide blast victim families where around 42 fell prey to the militant attack then they would re-think over parting ways with the government to join the Taliban fighters.

Information Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mian Iftikhar Husain responding to the grievances of the Lashkar chief has said that our government is equally participating and sharing grief with the tribesmen. Mian Iftikhar said that before funeral prayers of Wakeel’s wife, who was not member of the Adezai Lashker, locals had not informed the police and Frontier Constabulary for providing security to the funeral gathering.

The Provincial Information Minister said that Dilawar Khan was levelling wrong allegations on the provincial government because government has appointed some 70 locals on contract basis on his recommendation and they were regularly paid by the government. Government has provided weaponry to the Lashkar member, extended proper training to them and we have also record of all of the assistance, the minister added.

“No one who wants to join Taliban or to leave Taliban is not restricted to the will of the government and has never asked from the government to join anyone but it is clear to all that our government will fight terrorism till the end,” Iftikhar added.

Iftikar said that chief minister has convened high level meeting and also invited Lashkars members to the meeting where their due demands will be fulfilled by the government.

Sources said that Peace Committee members in most parts of the Tribal areas where war against militancy is underway has suffered great losses and the government has not extended them proper support which has dishearten them for their support of the government.