Banned militant groups have a free run in Pakistan

These demonstrators are members of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, an Islamist charity linked to the outlawed militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. The open show of protest in Lahore by the banned outfit reflects the support for `fundamentalism' and `militancy' in Pakistan today. The government acts as a mere spectator while outfits like Jamaat-ud-Dawah, headed by Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, do whatever they want. The rally addressed by senior Jamaat-ud-Dawah leaders Ameer Hamza and Maulana Abdul Aziz, opposed Pakistan government's move to give the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. The United States has said that there have been incidents of “local collaboration” between units of Pakistan's Frontier Corps, a government security force, and insurgent groups.