Militant groups gathering funds through charity events in Pak Punjab: Report

Karachi, June 23 (ANI): In what certainly raises questions over the Pakistani leadership’s constant denial regarding the presence of extremist organisations in the Punjab province, intelligence authorities have confirmed that at least 17 extremist and banned groups have been collecting money during religious and other ceremonies in the name of public welfare in the region.

According to a BBC Urdu report, these terror organisations regularly organise charity events to gather funds to support their nefarious activities.

The report said that intelligence agencies have already sent a report to the interior ministry which said that these organisations are active in Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Pind Dadan Khan, Mandi Bahauddin, Attock, Kharian, Faisalabad and Gujranwala areas of Punjab.

It also revealed that among all the terror groups an organisation named “Ghazi Force” is the most active and expanding its reach.

“Ghazi Force has sympathies with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its members have been found involved in various acts of terrorism, the report quoted interior ministry sources, as saying.

The Ghazi Force is said to be formed in 2007 after the Lal Masjid operation.

Sources in the interior ministry, while admitting to the presence of these 17 groups, added that they are also trying to establish their base in the Sindh province. (ANI)