LAHORE: Authorities in Punjab do not foresee any serious implications of the killing of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi leadership on Wednesday but fear that anyone else can exploit the situation and unleash any act of terrorism.

They say that the entire LeJ leadership has been killed and the headless outfit has no capacity left with to create any major problem at the moment. However, anyone else can take advantage of the situation and strike in the name of LeJ.

Assessing the situation, officials who requested anonymity, said no doubt Malik Ishaq was the head of the outfit but actual player was Ghulam Rasool Shah whose schemes would breach any security arrangement in the country. And the sons of these two leaders were heading other sections of the group including handling its finances and logistics.

A single dangerous leader of the outfit, Akram Lahori, is jailed in Karachi and awaiting death sentence.

“Apparently, it looks the LeJ has itself been eliminated at the moment since those running it are no more. Yes, the presence of its followers or activists cannot be ignored but they have been controlled by the leadership which is no more,” an official said.

Other officials said the LeJ used to operate under the aura created by Malik Ishaq who would brow beat anyone, even judges. In one incident, he refused to appear before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge in a jail trial. Another ATC judge was attacked during another court trial.

“We are watchful. Let us hope nothing bad happens,” an official said.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2015

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