PESHAWAR, Oct 31: District Nazim, Azam Khan Afridi, has condemned the killing of minorities and termed it a coward act on the part of terrorists.

Speaking at a joint meeting of Muslims, minorities and Ulema here on Wednesday, Afridi said the massacre of Christians in Bahawalpur was against the teaching of Islam. He said Islam not only taught its followers to respect the people of other faiths but also ensured their protection.

He said strict measures should be taken in future for the protection of minorities. In this regard, he said the NWFP governor, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, had given special directives to the law enforcing agencies to protect the lives, worship places and property of ll faiths.

Some minorities leader also spoke on this occasion  and urged all the countrymen to forge unity among themselves.

Peace forum: The Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy, NWFP chapter, has condemned the attack on a church   in Bahawalpur and the murder of Afghan commander Abdul Haq, and has termed these acts a continuation of former military ruler Gen Ziaul Haq.

In a statement, issued here on Monday, the forum’s information secretary, Qaiser Khan, asked President Gen Pervez Musharraf to review his internal and external policies, which, he said, the president had inherited from Gen Ziaul Haq.

He said the prevailing situation was a threat to the existence of the country, and added that the massacre of Christians in Bahawalpur and the execution of commander Abdul Haq by Taliban were parts of a chain.

He asked Gen Musharraf to bring drastic changes in his policies to steer the nation out of the crises.

OPERATION THEATRE: The Naseer Teaching Hospital has established an operation theatre and a laboratory at its camp office at the Torkham border town to provide treatment to those injured in the US-led airstrikes on Afghanistan.