‘Cheated’ Anti-Taliban lashkars in Pak threaten to end support to govt in war on terror

PESHAWAR - Anti-Taliban militias in Pakistan have threatened to withdraw their support to the government and police in the war on terror if their demands are not met within ten days.

Adezai anti-Taliban lashkar chief Dilawar Khan said that the chiefs of all the three anti-Taliban lashkars had decided in a joint meeting that they would withdraw their support to the police and government if the latter did not fulfil promises made to them within ten days.

Dilawar said that the leaders of the anti-Taliban lashkars were ready to announce their end of cooperation with the Awami National Party-led provincial government and security forces in the war on terror, the Daily Times reported.

Following the decision, senior police officers met the lashkar chiefs and assured full support, he added.

The officials asked the chiefs to cooperate with security forces until the 10th of Muharram, and told them that they were going to arrange their meetings with the provincial chief minister, governor and other top police officials so that they could present their demands to them.

When asked about the reason behind their ‘withdrawal of support’ decision, Dilawar said that the government and military had extended almost no moral and material support to the lashkars since they were formed in 2008.

The lashkars had courageously confronted the Taliban for the past two years despite great human and material losses, he pointed out.

The government had promised arms, ammunition and food for the militias, which did not materialise. Neither did the promised compensation package for heirs of the lashkars’ members, who were killed in fightings with the Taliban, he added.

On the condition of anonymity, some members of the Adezai lashkar said that after its withdrawal of support to the government, the lashkar would approach the Taliban for a pact.

They said that the Taliban would be offered safe passage through Adezai in return for the assurance that they would not attack Adezai people and villagers. (ANI)