July 10, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 24, 1428

PESHAWAR, July 9: The NWFP government has vowed that it will not allow any individual or self-styled champions of morality to take law in their hands. Briefing journalists about deliberations of the provincial cabinet’s meeting here on Monday, Information Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai said the cabinet reiterated its resolve that the government would not tolerate lawlessness in the province.

He said that the Frontier police were not well-equipped and had been understaffed for many decades but it had braved all kinds of challenges and served the people.

NWFP Home Secretary Badshah Gul Wazir, Information Secretary Mohammad Afzal Khan and Provincial Police Officer Mohammad Sharif Virk were also present on the occasion.

About the killing of three Chinese businessmen on the Charsadda Road in Peshawar on Sunday evening, the minister said the tragic incident was aimed at destroying friendly relations between China and Pakistan.

He said the police had made some arrests last night and were trying to unearth the real culprits behind the crime.

He said the violent demonstrations in Abbottabad, Mansehra and Swat were a reaction to the action against students trapped in Lal Masjid.

He said the demands of enforcement of Sharia made by the Ghazi brothers were genuine and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal endorsed them, but their (Ghazi brothers’) modus operandi was wrong. He said: “We cannot support creation of a state within the state”.

The minister said the government had asked Maulana Fazlullah, a strong supporter of Lal Masjid clerics, to honour the accord, he had signed with the district administration in Swat. He said Maulana Fazalullah had been asked not to broadcast any hate material from his FM Radio and had been advised to use the facility for preaching Islam.

Replying to a question, the home secretary said the local jirga would decide about ransacking of the police station and killing of policemen in Swat. He said that Maulana Fazal had made an agreement with the local administration and jirga members that he would not incite people to take law in their hands.

“In response to the National Security Council’s decision, the federal government has provided weapons, surveillance gadgets, bullet-proof jackets and vehicles of worth Rs4.30 billion to the province,” he added.

He said Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani had briefed the NSC participants about the urgent demands of the province and the federal government made a quick response to it.

The minister said: “We have recruited 7,500 constables, while the federal government has approved creation of new Banoochi platoons in the Frontier Corps.”

He said the government had asked the district governments to form citizen-police peace committees at police station, tehsil and district levels for the maintenance of law and order.

He said the jirgas formed in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Swat had played a positive role in restoring peace in those areas.