Militant groups active, gathering finances in Punjab
KARACHI: At least 17 extremist and banned groups in Punjab are collecting money during religious and other ceremonies in the name of public welfare, a BBCUrdu report quoted intelligence agencies as saying.
These organisations are using different names for this purpose and are also organising charity events to gather finances, the report said.
An intelligence report sent to the interior ministry says that these organisations are active in Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Pind Dadan Khan, Mandi Bahauddin, Attock, Kharian, Faisalabad and Gujranwala areas of Punjab.
The report further says that among these groups, an organisation named "Ghazi Force" is the most active and is increasing its operations. The Ghazi Force was formed in 2007 after the Lal Masjid operation.
Ghazi Force has sympathies with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its members have been found involved in various acts of terrorism, BBCUrdu quoted interior ministry sources as saying.
Due to the military operation in South Waziristan and other regions, militants from the tribal areas have shifted to parts of Punjab, including to its major cities.
These militants are still active from these makeshift shelters.
The 17 organisations are also attempting to establish their bases in the Sindh province, interior ministry sources said.
In the light of this report, the interior ministry has alerted concerned authorities in Islamabad and the four provinces to strictly monitor the activities of banned outfits.
