Punjab gears up for crackdown

FAISALABAD: Punjab Home Department sources say the provincial government has approved a limited operation in southern Punjab against banned militant groups. The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Sipah-e-Sahaba are in the crosshairs and a 1,785-strong list of targets has been handed over to the police and law enforcement agencies, say sources.

The orders, say the sources, come directly from Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Significantly, the list developed includes not just militants but also the handlers in charge of recruitments and financing. Home Department sources say the crackdown will target those LeJ, JM and SSP members who tried to go underground by changing the names of their organisations.

The list features 655 wanted persons belonging to the banned outfits and who have been active in the Multan region.  Of these, 380 are said to be ‘Afghan-trained boys’ while the remaining 275 are cited as dangerous activists of the proscribed groups. Also included on the list are 127 from Jhang, 60 from Faisalabad, 19 from Toba Tek Singh and another 13 from Chiniot.

Top of the list are four commanders of the banned outfits: Matiur Rehman of Bahawalpur, who carries head money of Rs 10 million; Ehsanul Haq of Bahawalpur, with Rs 5 million; Omar Aqdas of Sheikhupura  with Rs 5 million and Zakiullah of Sheikhupura, who carries a reward of Rs 2 million.

Meanwhile, all the districts of Punjab including Bhakkar, Sargodha, Khushab, Rawalpindi and Jhelum have swapped wanted persons lists. A summary to ban the movement of the top leadership of the banned outfits has also been finalised, say sources. And SSP chief Ahmed Ludhianvi has now been debarred from entry into Bhakkar, Toba Tek Singh and Jhang. Interestingly, the DCO has also been authorised to impose an immediate ban on Ludhianvi’s movement, if he so deems fit.

However, the chief minister is said to have entrusted the timing of the operation to the LEAs. And in the last 48 hours, Punjab chief secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa and IG Punjab Tariq Saleem Dogar are said to have made clandestine visits to significant cities in the Punjab to finalise operational details. Meanwhile, say sources, the security agencies have also been apprised of the contours of the planned operation.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2010.