Lahore, May 31: For the first time, Pakistan has hinted that an operation could be launched against militants in Punjab on the pattern of the ongoing offensive in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan as authorities have arrested seven men for the carnage in two mosques in Lahore.
 The prospects that such an operation could be in the offing was indicated by Interior Minister Rehman Malik while talking to City 42, a Lahore-based news channel.
 Acknowledging that Punjab-based groups like Jaish-e-Muhammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba had joined hands with the Taliban and al Qaida, Malik said an operation could be launched against them in the southern part of Punjab. “The militant who have been hiding in southern Punjab have now surfaced,” said Malik. “Our action will be stronger now because we can’t tolerate such killings.”
 “There will be an operation in southern Punjab on the pattern of the tribal areas,” Malik was quoted as saying by the channel.  The minister visited the channel’s office yesterday to condole the death of one of its employees during last week’s attack on an Ahmedi mosque.
 Malik said groups like Jaish-e-Muhammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba had joined hands with the Taliban and al Qaida to destabilise Pakistan.
 Pakistan government has been criticised for lacking the will to crack down on militants in Punjab, many of whom are in groups which started with government support to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 80s and 90s and India.
 Members of these groups from Punjab had gone to the tribal areas and received training there.
 “They then came back to Punjab and became part of sleeper cells. Those militants who were hiding in South Punjab are now surfacing,” he said.
 However, former premier Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N party, which rules the province, has never acknowledged the presence of militants in southern Punjab.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 31 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 31 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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