Pakistan civil militias quit fight against Taliban

Islamabad, May 24 (IANS) Civilian resistance groups in northwest Pakistan have quit fighting against the Taliban due to lack of government support, a media report said Thursday.

These groups were active in the tribal regions of Darra Adamkhel and Khyber Agency.

The government's refusal to provide assistance to these "lashkars" (civilian resistance groups) has forced them to quit, Dilawar Khan, chief of the peace committee in Adezai, said.

More than 5,000 volunteers (composed of ordinary citizens) had been at the forefront in the fight against insurgency in the area, Dawn quoted Khan as saying.

Khan said the government has taken back the weapons provided to them.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government is concerned over the increasing supply of weapons to local groups to fight the Taliban.