On June 16, the newspapers carried his photographs with a big grin. His teeth showed prominently in a frame of black beard. He was profusely garlanded and was accompanied by another bearded supporter, equally happy. Both were riding an expensive car. That was Malik Ishaq, the key founding member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) — a notorious terrorist organisation, a violent killer of Shias and a major ally of al Qaeda. Malik Ishaq was accused of being the key planner of the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. His associate accused namely, Javed Anwar, Abdullah and Ubaidur Rehman had been arrested from Shahdara. It was claimed that the men had confessed to their involvement in the cricket team attack. Some officials informed the press on condition of anonymity that Malik Ishaq enjoyed the Punjab government’s financial assistance ever since the Sharifs came to power in 2008. The accused terror kingpin belongs to the banned Sunni outfit LeJ and has been nominated in 44 cases in which 70 people were killed. During imprisonment, he used to receive a monthly stipend from the Punjab government. He and his family have been well looked after. No wonder he had a big grin on his face. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed the disbursement but clarified that it was given to Ishaq’s family, not him, as per the orders of the court. However, further investigations revealed that neither were there any such disbursements during General Musharraf’s regime nor was there any court order pertaining to the matter. Rana Sanaullah always looks very comfortable in telling lies and giving disinformation, which was proved once again. The Punjab government’s financial support to the terrorist was purely meant to protect the PML-N’s vote bank and the street mafia in its favour. Look at the audacious Malik Ishaq whose first terror attack took place 14 years ago when he targeted a ‘Majlis’ in which 12 people were killed. Unfortunately, eight among the complainants and witnesses of the incident have been killed so far. Now only one complainant and three witnesses are alive. One wonders if they are also awaiting their elimination; more so as the jubilant Malik Ishaq has been released on bail and has the blessings of the Punjab government. He can now eliminate the rest of the witnesses and get acquittal from the helpless courts. Individuals, politicians, political parties, federal and provincial governments, and the establishment need to seriously introspect themselves in this regard. The point to ponder is: are we a country promoting terrorism or not? Thoughtless denials prove nothing except giving a hidden feeling of guilt. Here is Punjab government doing whatever it can to protect terrorists that support the PML-N. Please also recall that the same Punjab government had allocated financial support worth Rs 86 million to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) from the Punjab budget last year. One wonders what the role of the federal government is in such a situation. One also wonders what should be the role of the judiciary, which is fond of taking suo motu notices. That is how the Americans, Indians, and several others see us supporting the terrorists even if we vehemently deny this. But how do we explain the doings of the Punjab government? Also, how do we explain the tolerant stance of the emerging leader Imran Khan and his party? He does not consider the war on terror as our war. We also need to take into account the so-called ‘rogue elements’ in the establishment. The infiltration of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir is also there and of course millions of people at home and around vaguely think of Islam and follow all those who claim religious expertise. If we are not supporters of terrorism, we must be able to distinguish between the message of the Quran, teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and their misinterpretation and misdirected use by the so-called religious experts whose agenda is to create a divide to exploit and rule. Apparently, there is a divide between the federal and the Punjab government. The Punjab government rules 60 percent of the populace of Pakistan and can effectively defeat federal policies. The federal government, the three provincial governments, Gilgit-Baltistan and the tribal areas are definitely against terrorism. Therefore, the good news is that the majority of Pakistanis are in fact peace-loving and have suffered at the hands of the terrorists. Then why is the federal government not taking notice of the PML-N’s activities supporting terror outfits? Are Mr Zardari and Mr Gilani too afraid to rock the boat? I am afraid if they do not ‘rock the boat’, the ‘boat’ may rock them. There is no doubt that Mr Zardari’s political manoeuvring is superb. He has handled all internal threats to his power successfully. Now he even has the support of the PML-Q and the MQM. This is the time that he should cleanse Punjab of pro-terror elements. The armed forces have controlled FATA and it will also cleanse North Waziristan gradually but it is political action that is required in Punjab. This can be best handled by smart political moves of the president. He would know how to do it the best, but he must do it. The nation has become a hostage to the Punjabi Taliban and their supporters. The PML-N will continue to support the extremists because it needs them to get votes in the next election and to threaten those who would not want to vote for the PML-N. Would the country allow its major province to become a safe haven for the terrorists? There is less than 18 months’ time left before the next election. It is not a very long time and a strategy to deal with it must be designed now. All anti-terror groups, parties and other elements need to join in on a single point agenda of cleansing Punjab of those who directly or indirectly support terror outfits. The writer is a culture and media management specialist, a researcher, author, director and actor