Lashkar,Jaish,LeJ join hands

Banned terrorist groups in Pakistans Punjab province are gaining strength after joining hands on a new platform Muslim United Army and have become a challenge for the government which lacks resources to effectively counter their activities.

The banned groups Lashkar-e-Taiba,Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi have a common cause under the banner of MUA and their activities are also in line with those of the Taliban,according to a report drawn up by the Crime Investigation Department. The report also said militancy has been rapidly taking roots in Punjab province,especially in the five districts of Muzaffarghar,Dera Ghazi Khan,Bahawalpur,Rahim Yar Khan and Bhakkar. As several members of the three banned groups have taken part in the Afghan war,they have developed a nexus with the Taliban, a CID officer said.

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In the suicide bombings of the Naval War College and Federal Investigation Agency office in Lahore and the terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team and police training school in Manawan,the facilitators of the perpetrators were from these organisations operating in Punjab, the officer said. Police also believe the three groups had joined hands to target the security forces.

Though the main actors of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Malik Ishaq and Akram Lahori are in jails in Multan and Karachi respectively,they are operating their group from behind bars in connivance with the prison staff,sources said.