Pak Punjab IG's meeting with LeT jihadi chief lays bare govt-terror outfits' links

Lahore, June 18(ANI): A direct nexus between the Pakistan Punjab government and banned outfits in the province has come out in the open after its Inspector General met the Lashker-e-Tayyaba's jihadi wing Chief Secretary to brief him on terrorist networks.

According to the Daily Times, Punjab IG Tariq Saleem Dogar met the head of the jihadi wing, who is a retired Pakistan Army colonel.

It is believed that Muzaffargarh DPO Manzoor Ahmed was also present during the meeting.

It is significant to note that before the meeting, Dogar had met the head of the intelligence agency in Islamabad to discuss a report on activities of banned outfits in South Punjab

The report contains reliable data collected by the intelligence agencies on the activities of banned religious groups and links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Al-Qaeda.

It also said that the groups in South Punjab were reorganizing and asking members who had left the organizations earlier to rejoin.

Some important decisions were reportedly taken in the high-level meeting held at the Circuit House.

Earlier, provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had admitted that at least 20 to 30 percent members of local terror groups have joined forces with the Punjabi Taliban network to wreak havoc in Punjab.

Despite admitting that the situation is fast spiralling out of control, Sanaullah has objected to calls for a full-scale military operation in the region to quell the terror threat, saying the real threat comes from the training camps in terror hot bed North Waziristan.

However, observers believe that Sanaullah and many provincial leaders like him are against military action against these terror groups because they hugely rely on them for their political ambitions.

It is worth mentioning here that Sanaullah had attracted wide criticism after he was seen hobnobbing with leaders of banned terror outfit Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) during a local election in Jhang a few days ago. (ANI)