Pakistan on Wednesday in Lahore claimed that Taliban were running terrorist training camps in Koh-e-Suleman mountain range on the Afghan-Balochistan border to destablise the country's heartland.
A top paramilitary official said these camps were being used to infiltrate terrorists into the Punjab province through Dera Ismail Khan town in the restive North West Frontier Province.
Maj Gen Yaqoob Khan, the head of the Pakistan Rangers in Punjab province, said the terrorists trained in the "Farari Camp" in the Koh-e-Suleman area had links in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
Khan's revelations come as US has been pointing the finger at the area as being the safe haven of the Taliban chief Mullah Omar, which has been denied by Pakistani leaders.
The paramilitary commander complained that there was no proper security presence in the area to check or monitor the terrorist activities there.
The reports of the camps in the mountainous area also come in the backdrop of allegations that the southern part of Punjab is the hub of "Punjabi Taliban" operatives, who are carrying out terrorist attacks in the province along with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.
The official further said that the tribal belt of Rajanpur in Punjab is linked with the tribal belt of Dera Ismail Khan.
"Some diplomats are helping madrassas (seminaries) in the tribal areas of Punjab and the federal government should stop them," Khan told reporters.
Militants in Dera Ismail Khan had links with their counterparts in North and South Waziristan and terrorists were using them to enter Punjab with arms and ammunition, he said.
"The (tribal) belt of Dera Ismail Khan is also being used for entering the tribal areas of Balochistan and no police and Rangers force exist in the area of Fort Manwara. There is only border police," Khan said.
He said the border police, which had no proper training, had influence on the 'sardars' or local chiefs in these areas.
"An amount of Rs 650 million was allocated four years ago for the area located between Koh-e-Suleman and the Indus river. Two police stations and 15 police check posts were set up and 250 policemen were recruited in Rajanpur. It also was decided that police would be appointed in the area but a notification in this regard could not be issued," he said. PTI
