Peace militias to take on terror scourge

After an eight-year absence, peace militias, locally known as aman lashkars, which were created to keep terrorists at bay, have been reinstated in Lakki Marwat with groups being formed at the village level.

The heads of the peace militias, accompanied by their volunteers, will patrol the villages with arms in hand. During polio vaccination drives, they will collaborate with the police at the tehsil level to ensure that health workers remain safe.

In the first phase, the formation of peace militias and their leaders in Lakki Marwat district has been completed, whereas the details of the volunteers and the provision of weapons and support will be managed by each police station's SHO.

The aim of establishing these peace militias is to bring together the police, local communities, and other organisations against terrorists, and to devise a fresh strategy for retaliatory actions in the southern districts.

According to Lakki Marwat DPO Taimoor Khan, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police have always spearheaded efforts against terrorism, and remained at the forefront of protecting citizens' lives and properties. "These frontline forces bravely enter the field, proving through their actions that retreat is not in their nature. "They either drink from the cup of martyrdom or return as heroes," the DPO said.

The Lakki Marwat police force and the Marwat community will work together to eradicate terrorism, establishing formal peace militias at every village level, which will then be registered with the police.

After registration, the police will provide support and assistance of all kinds, aimed at uniting against militants.

These peace militias were first formed in Peshawar in 2008 in the outskirts of the Matani Adezai area, with about a hundred volunteers participating. They were known as the Adezai Peace Militia. Initially, these militias fought against terrorists, but weakened over time due to repeated attacks on their leaders. The Peshawar police provided weapons and manpower for such groupsfor eight years, but withdrew their support in 2016. A volunteer affiliated with a peace militia, requesting anonymity, told Express that locals wanted terrorists eliminated from their area.

"Our youths were targeted while going to school and college. We faced suicide attacks, but we didn't lose hope. Although later, we were left to fend for ourselves."

If community policing under the peace militias yields better results, it will be expanded to other parts of the southern districts.

A DIG rank officer of the K-P police told Express that in the past, the formation of peace militias in Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and Malakand yielded positive results. "After proper registration, data collection, and complete verification processes, individuals with good reputations will be appointed as heads of the peace militias," he said According to information obtained, after a series of terrorist attacks and increasing incidents of targeted killings in Lakki Marwat, locals held an important meeting with the elders, deciding to form peace militias with the help of the local community. The main aim is to eliminate terrorists from the area.

The threat of terrorism looms large in areas such as Lakki Marwat. On Sunday, the district's police finalised a plan to curb terrorism and improve the law-and-order situation in the volatile district.

Talking to The Express Tribune, DPO Taimoor Khan said that in collaboration with intelligence agencies, a list of 73 most-wanted terrorists was compiled.