Govt may ban militant groups of religious parties: Moin
The News/jang

PESHAWAR: Interior Minister Lt-Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider on Friday said the government is planning to introduce strict law to keep a check on militant wings of religious outfits, which may also be banned to maintain sectarian harmony in the country.

He was briefing journalists about details of the Inter-Provincial Law and Order Coordination Committee meeting, he chaired in Peshawar on Friday. Chief secretaries, home secretaries, IGPs, and IGs Prisons from all the four provinces, federal capital territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Northern Areas attended the meeting.

"It is quite possible that we ban these groups," he said, when asked if the new piece of law will bar activities of the confrontational religious groups. "What is the fun to have groups like Lashkar and Sipah?" asked the minister, without naming the religious groups, which patronise sectarian organisations.

He said a de-weaponization drive would also be started from June 1, with a media campaign and followed by an amnesty period for volunteer surrender of illicit arms. In the final stage, he said "we may resort to using force to collect illegal weapons".