PESHAWAR, Jan 25: A leader of anti-Taliban lashkar in a suburban area of provincial capital died here on Tuesday under mysterious circumstances at his house.

The family members of Noor Malik, the deputy chief of Adezai Qaumi Lashkar, refused to give details of his death and evaded queries about the incident.

The chief of the anti-Taliban volunteers, Dilawar Khan, when contacted, said that he also had no details about the death of his deputy. “It seems that he received a bullet while cleaning his pistol at his residence,” he said.

However, another source said that Mr Malik committed suicide after developing some difference with his family members.

An official of Matani police station said that they had received information about his death but it was not confirmed if he had been murdered or he committed suicide.

He said that so far no one had contacted police for registration of case. “The law and order situation in the area is under control and police have been deployed at the sensitive points along the Indus Highway,” he added.

Sources at Lady Reading Hospital said that they received the body of Mr Malik. “He had already expired before reaching the hospital,” they said.

It is to be mentioned here that Noor Malik was appointed deputy head of the lashkar after the death of his father Haji Abdul Malik, former nazim of Adezai union council.

The nazim had been killed in a suicide bomb blast at a cattle market in Matani on November 8, 2009.

The lashkar has been playing vital role against militants in the area. According to Dilawar Khan some 33 members of the peace body had so far been killed in terrorist attacks.