Bilawal’s ‘revelations’ bring Punjab govt in spotlight

LAHORE

The Punjab government is once again under spotlight after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s latest revelations, followed by attack on a private TV channel anchor in Lahore on Friday.
Political leadership is taking interest in Punjab because the province has become hub of activities of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. It is a matter of concern for moderate and enlightened forces because these elements are nonexistent in other provinces.
It is Punjab where these outfits are deeply rooted and support the system more than anywhere else in the country. That is why the Punjab government always comes under fire every time terrorists launch an attack anywhere in the country.
Political and security analysts say that the increasing profile of these outfits shows that they are now out to set national and domestic agenda in the country. In the last elections candidates from the banned outfits contested elections.
Since then one sees them in the driving seat whether it is talks with the Taliban or Pakistan Day celebrations or any controversy over foreign or security policy.
On recent Pakistan Day (March 23) all shades of religious parties crammed The Mall in Lahore and roads of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Most of these outfits propagate anti-India and anti-West line whipping up the patriotic sentiments.
“I think these forces are vying for domestic roles now. They foresee now battlefield within the country and not outside country,” commented analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi.
“They want to cut of the country from the US in order to weaken the state. In a beleaguered state it is much easier to impose their agenda,” he also said.
More surprisingly for the political and religious forces is the increasing visibility of people like Ahmad Ludhianvi for his links with the banned religious outfits. But despite his credential he seems to be everywhere addressing public meetings in Lahore, Islamabad and in Karachi freely.
Some political figures and analysts say that increasing role of the Saudi government in foreign policy has something to do with these religious elements in the country.
“Ludhianvi spent most of his life time behind the bars during the time of Azam Tariq and even after his demise. In the past during Muharram the government used to ban the inter-district movement of some religious figures with potential to inflame public opinion. Ludhianvi used be the first among others facing such bans in good old days, but not anymore. Even there is no inter-provincial checks, what to talk of inter-district bans,” said Raja Basharat, former law minister.
Bilawal created a stir by asking the Punjab government to tame the LeJ. He said unless the Punjab government does not control elements like LeJ and LeT the smaller provinces could not feel safe and secure.
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah too wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take action against the LeJ.
Some analysts say that the chances of the Punjab government going after these elements were quite dim.
“Any action against them will be contingent on the commitment of the government, whether it has long term plan to eradicate extremism. But if the government plans are short-term, buying time from the extremist then status quo will remain the order of the country,” Basharat opined.