In a recognisable pattern, the version of the Chakwal incident on Friday, November 12 presented by Interior Minister Rehman Malik is different in vital respects to that being reported by other sources like the BBC. While Malik continues to insist the killing of four Military Intelligence (MI) operatives in Chakwal by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) was the result of an operation to smoke out and eliminate criminal and extremist elements ensconced in the area, the alternative account says quite the opposite. BBC reported ‘sensitive agency’ sources as having revealed that LeJ had abducted four MI operatives as hostages to barter for 20 of their party members arrested in the tribal areas by the military. The four operatives were then killed when an operation to rescue them was mounted. It is also interesting that ‘security agency’ sources support Malik’s version. However, the reason ‘sensitive agency’ sources and their version appear more credible is that the military is not known to go after militants of any description in the settled areas of Pakistan for various reasons. Leaders and members of various militant and extremist organisations live and operate freely in many parts of Pakistan’s settled and urban areas, particularly in Lahore, Quetta, Karachi and South Punjab, in full knowledge of government and security agencies. If it was a unilateral strike against an extremist organisation in Punjab, it would have been the first of its kind. Though it is tragic that four MI operatives were killed, one hopes the incident will highlight for the establishment that extremists of any stripe can, and will, strike out at them whenever it suits. It is shortsighted in the extreme to consider any of these outfits as ‘assets’ for ‘strategic’ objectives. A very worrying aspect highlighted by the story is the indication that many security agencies and the civil and military bureaucracy of the country have been deeply infiltrated by extremist organisations. It appears the four were killed as a result of the rescue operation being leaked to the LeJ. Reports hint at elements within the Punjab Police being the source of the leak. This is not the first indication of such infiltration. The cases of ex-commissioner of Malakand Javed Mohammad, the Mehran base attack in Karachi, the assassination of Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer by a member of Punjab police’s elite commando unit, and numerous others spring to mind immediately. It is vital that alongside the war on extremist combatants, urgent action be taken to weed out militant sympathisers from within government and security agencies. One can only hope the Chakwal incident proves to be a blessing in disguise, with the army jolted out of its complacency with regard to violent sectarian outfits. It is also high time the Punjab government learnt some lessons with regard to appeasement of extremists, and acts before the situation reaches a point of no return. *