Islamabad: An anti-Taliban `lashkar` or
militia was abolished hours after a suicide bomber struck the
funeral of the wife of one of its member on the outskirts of
Peshawar killing 36 people, according to a media report on Thursday.
The bomber had targeted the funeral in Mattani area
and detonated his explosive vest when a large number of
tribesmen were offering funeral prayers for the wife of a
member of the lashkar of Adezai area yesterday.
The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed
responsibility for the attack.
The chief of the "peace committee" or pro-government
militia, Dilawar Khan, said that he had disbanded the group
and people of the area will now deal with the militants on
their own, BBC Urdu reported.
Anti-Taliban lashkars have been formed in several
parts of Pakistan`s northwest regions with the backing of the
government to help authorities take on Taliban militants.
Taliban have carried out several deadly suicide
attacks on pro-government militias and killed hundreds of
people, including tribal elders besides carrying out targeted
attacks on government friendly figures and their families.
"We will never forgive (the spilling of the) blood of
the people," Khan told reporters after the suicide attack. He
said only innocent people were killed in the attack.
Khan said the people of Adezai area, located near
Peshawar, launched the militia three years ago and the group
had carried out several attacks on the Taliban.
"We had captured some Taliban militants but
unfortunately they were freed and are now roaming freely," he
said.
Taliban had carried out several attacks on members of
the peace committee and had killed 47 people, he said, adding
17 members of the committee were killed in targeted attacks.
Khan complained that no compensation was paid to the
families of these victims.
He said the Taliban had struck his home with rockets
few days ago and the militia repulsed the attack without any
help from the authorities.
The people had arranged resources for their campaign
against the Taliban, he said.
"The government has not given us even a bullet," he
complained, adding "If the government continues such
behaviour, we will end support to the government".
The people will also act against influential
personalities and all those who support the Taliban, he added.
The militants could attack Peshawar if the people of
Adezai did not stop them, Khan said.
PTI
