April 29, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1428

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PESHAWAR, April 28: The People’s Party Parliamentarians has expressed its concerns over growing lawlessness in the province and held both the provincial and federal governments responsible for the poor law and order situation in the three southern districts besides the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Saturday, PPP provincial chief Rahimdad Khan pointed out the violence-prone Bannu district was the home of NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, while Dera Ismail Khan was the political stronghold of opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

He alleged that the southern parts of the province had been left to the mercy of extremists who were running a “parallel government” there. The militants had crossed all limits and had even targeted the house of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s brother Maulana Ataur Rehman.

Mr Khan said the Dera Ismail Khan DIG had clamped a curfew on the town, but the district nazim was unaware about it. He said the federal and provincial governments were silent over all important issues.

He said the extremists had arrived in the settled areas, where they were forcing the people to adopt their brand of religious life. He claimed that the same was unacceptable to the “saner elements of society who were struggling against military dictatorship”.