“I have six bodyguards, but I have to return them to the local police as they need to redeploy them,” says Shah. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
PESHAWAR: While differences with the police has already rendered the peace militia dysfunctional, police have now asked three leaders of Aman Lashker in Badabher, Mashogagar and Sheikh Muhammadi villages to return the bodyguards and guns provided to them three years ago.
Tappa Mohmand Aman Committee General Secretary Mukamal Shah blamed the police of abandoning them in the face of worsening law and order situation.
“I have six bodyguards, but I have to return them to the local police as they need to redeploy them,” said Shah, adding that elders Khan Muhammad from Badabher and Zar Muhammad from Sheikh Muhammadi have also been asked to do the same.
“We take an active part in all police operations because of which militants are against us too.”
Shah said that without any security they will have to ask all their volunteers to stop cooperating with the police. He added they sided with the police in the worst law and order situation, but are now left vulnerable to target killings.
“It is a really short-sighted decision on the part of the police as the law and order situation is not good in Badabher and Mattani areas,” said Shah, adding that the police cannot win the war against militancy without the support of locals.
In his defence, an official of Badabher police station said there were some people “whose role in the war on terror was limited to issuing statements to local newspapers.”
“Each of these men has six body guards and if we deploy the 18 men to police stations, it would decrease the burden on other officers,” he argued.
Militants threaten CD shop owners
Militants on Wednesday night left a clear warning for owners of shops selling CDs – shut the business of face the music.
The warning came in the form of pamphlets stuck on the shutters of music shops in the suburban Naguman area which falls under the jurisdiction of the Daudzai police station.
Locals said the pamphlet was written in Urdu and caused widespread panic among the owners of CD shops. It read: “This is a warning to you to stop your CD and computer shops.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2012.
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