Majlis-e-Mushawarat, spearheading the ongoing stir in Shopian over the alleged rape and murder of two women there, on Tuesday threatened to intensify it if the state government failed to identify and punish the culprits behind the incident within a week.

"If the government will not identify and punish the culprits involved in the rape and murder of Asiya (17) and Nelofar (22) within the next six days the agitation will be intensified, responsibility for which will rest on the government", Chairman of the Mushawarat (consultative committee) Mohammad Shafi Khan told reporters.

Asserting that he had "no confidence" in the one-man commission probing the case, he said, "After lapse of such a long time the commission has failed to unveil the real culprits. There are doubts and suspicion that it has been set up to buy time".

Commenting on the suspension of five police officials by the State Government yesterday on the recommendation of the commission, Khan termed it as "disappointing".

"This is just to mislead the people. Instead of placing them under suspension, they should have been arrested and punished because they are responsible for whatever had happened in Shopian on May 30," he said.

"Suspension is no punishment", Khan said, adding that the real issue is to identify the perpetrators and punish them and the commission has miserably failed to do so.