Lakki Marwat Aman Jirga has announced it will continue its struggle for peace and stability in the region, saying that the people of Swat were true Muslims and the slogans of so-called Sharia by militants could not befool them.

In this regard, a Jirga was held in Lakki Marwat’s Lindiwa village on Sunday which was attended by political leaders, local people, police and administrative officials, and local elders.

The Jirga announced the formation of a peace committee that would struggle for the restoration of peace in the region.

“We as Muslims never fight to kill people, but we fight to change people’s minds and thoughts like all the prophets did,” Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) leader Dr. Abdullah Khan said addressing the Jirga.

He said that if the militants thought that the people of the region were not Muslims and were not following Islam they should come and observe the people. “But if they [militants] turned out wrong then they must surrender,” added Dr. Abdullah.

He said there was no example in the history of Islam of ruling people with the help of weapons.

He suggested that the Aman Committee could play the role of mediator if the militants desired for holding dialogue with the government representatives.

Lakki Marwat has seen militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) active in the area for the last few months.

A day earlier a deputy director of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was shot dead in Tajazai area of Lakki Marwat.

Police said that they arrested the killers who were identified as Sharifullah and Ali Bahadar.

On November 16, armed militants killed six police officers in an ambush in Shahab Khel area of Lakki Marwat district. The outlawed TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.

Expressing his determination to restore peace and stability in the region, Dr. Abdullah said that “we cannot leave this Pashtun homeland to them [militants] and will fight for peace and stability until it is restored”.

Addressing the meeting, the participants denounced incidents of terrorism and asked the government to take stringent measures to eliminate terrorism and promote peace and prosperity.

They reiterated their resolve to stand by the law enforcement agencies to defeat the designs of anti-state elements for peace in the region and the province at large.