LAKKI MARWAT, Jan 23: The elders of Dallokhel and local leaders of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl have said that they would continue to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and security forces for restoration of durable peace in the area.“Joint and collective efforts by area people and law enforcers can help to eradicate the menace of militancy and restore peace in the district,” they told a meeting, held in Dallokhel on Monday.

They said that the suspects, arrested during a search operation the other day, should be released as they were apparently not wanted by law enforcement agencies.

Maulana Syed Mohammad Mohsin Shah, a member of Marwat Qaumi Jirga, and JUI-F district chief Maulana Abdul Rahim also addressed the meeting.

They said that they would not allow anyone to disturb peace of the district. They added that all out assistance would be provided to security forces to eliminate saboteurs from the area.

“The credit for maintaining sustainable peace and protecting lives and properties of people goes to security forces,” the speakers said. They called upon security forces to take elders into confidence before launching search operation in an area as it would help to tighten noose around miscreants and reduce hardships of local people.

Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen shot dead two persons in two different incidents in the district on Monday, police said.

They said that Haji Noor Mohammad was going home after offering Maghrib prayers in the village’s mosque in Eesakkhel when unidentified armed men attacked him. “He died instantly while the attackers managed to escape,” they added.

In another incident, unidentified motorcyclists killed Sahibzada Daud Ahmad, near Kotka Parade in Naurang town.

The assailants managed to flee after committing the crime. Police registered separate cases in Lakki Marwat and Shaheed Asmatullah Khan police stations and started investigation.

DRIVE: The Pakistan Railways with the help of local administration and police launched an operation on Monday against illegal occupants of railway land in Lakki city.

The railway workers razed several buildings, constructed on the land of the department. The operation was launched in old railway station area where several houses and other illegal structures were demolished.

Pakistan Railways Assistant Executive Engineer Mateen Ahmad supervised the operation. He told local journalists that illegal occupants and encroachers had been served with notices to remove their encroachments and illegal structures within 14 days.

“But they did not comply with it, leaving no option for the authorities to launch operation against them,” he said. Mr Ahmad thanked district administration and police for providing assistance to them to make the operation a success.