Two sectarian terrorists freed by Punjab government – by Rauf Klasra
http://criticalppp.com/archives/6840

The cost of Jhang by-poll
By Shafiq Awan
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\10\story_10-3-2010_pg7_15

Punjabi Taliban avenge Qari Zafar’s death
By Amir Mir

LAHORE: The March 8 suicide bombing in Lahore’s Model Town is believed to have been carried out by the Punjab chapter of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to avenge the killing of Commander Qari Zafar, the acting Amir of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) in a US drone strike in North Waziristan on February 24, 2010.
While confirming Qari Zafar’s death in a statement faxed to local journalists on February 25, a Lashkar-e-Jhangvi spokesman had described him as a martyr and pledged to avenge his death.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27686

Sir, the militants have multiplied —Sher Ali Khan

When Rana Sanaullah visited Jhang, it was a cause of great worry for the citizens when SSP leader Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi was included in the entourage and given full government protocol

The recent admission by Rana Sanaullah about his association with the banned militant group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) illuminates that Pakistan is a country where a nexus between politicians and militants is still active. Since only a few political parties have picked up on this issue, it is worrying to assume that relationships between the government and militant outfits still exist. Furthermore, the core principle of any constitutional democratic set-up is that the representative of the government is an extension of the state; therefore by the minister associating with a banned militant group, the government’s policies regarding militants and terrorists have come into conflict. In understanding this, one has to realise that militants are non-state rogue actors and to combat them the resolve must start from within the government.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\04\story_4-3-2010_pg3_3

One source said the latest scandal against Sanaullah about his links with terrorists followed by the release of two convicted terrorists of the SSP ahead of the by-elections in district Jhang, has further eroded the credibility of Shahbaz Sharif and his claims about good governance in the province.

The three-page strong-worded letter of governor Punjab to the president and prime minister highlighting the new disturbing trend about making a new political alliance with the banned organisation for political benefits, is yet another proof of how the provincial government was defying the policy on terrorism, which has plagued the whole nation.

Taseer has asked Shahbaz Sharif to take action against his law minister as he was sending very wrong messages both at the national and international levels and needed to be snubbed before his acts could lead to revival of sectarian violence, which had greatly disturbed the whole province in the mid 80s and 90s.

Taseer got immediate results when he was handed over documentary proof how Sanaullah had got his high-rise plaza in Lahore the status of a commercial property without fulfilling the legal requirements.

As it was not enough to shake the credibility of Rana Sanaullah and his party, an old FIR registered against him in 1992 was brought before the media by the team of the Governor’s House.

According to this FIR, Sanaullah who was then a firebrand of the PPP in the Punjab, had used abusive language against the then PM Nawaz Sharif. The contents of this speech as reproduced in the FIR (available with The News) were so shocking and abusive, involving members of the Sharif family, that one could not dare reproduce them in these columns.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=227651