1,300 suspected militants arrested

AROUND 1,300 suspected militants have been arrested in a sweep of hideouts in Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab, police said.

The two-week operation comes despite the provincial law minister’s defence of some groups designated as terrorist organisations and banned by Pakistan but resurrected under new names.

Rana Sanaullah also embraced some sectarian leaders whose groups have been accused of fomenting violence against minority Islamic sects, raising questions about his commitment to ridding Punjab of militants.

Two police officials said another 36 militants have died in shoot-outs with police and in paramilitary operations since the sweep began.

Mr Sanaullah said police were searching areas in Punjab dominated by ethnic Pashtuns and unregistered Afghan refugees because some of the worst attacks carried out in the provincial capital of Lahore involved residents of the tribal areas.

In an interview, however, Mr Sanaullah questioned the label of terrorist for anti-Indian militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has resurfaced as Jamaat ud Daawa.

Last month, Pakistan placed Hafiz Saeed, a declared terrorist with a US-imposed $10 million (£8.2m) bounty on his head, under house arrest. Mr Sanaullah said: “There is no evidence of Saeed’s involved in state terrorism.”