国际英语新闻：Punjabi Taliban leader dies but threat still looms large in Pakistan

Taliban frequently execute people on suspicion of espionage in the tribal areas of Pakistan. On Saturday evening two sons and a pedestrian were killed as shop of a local resident Shahbaraz Khan was destroyed in a bomb blast in Angorada, Waziristan tribal area.

The other two including former ISI officer Col. (retired) Amir Sultan Tarar alias Col. Imam and British journalist of Pakistani origin Asad Qureshi were released on May 6. It was not known whether any ransom was paid or what had led to their release. Militants had demanded U.S. 10 million dollars in ransom for the British journalist, but keeping mum about Col. Imam.

The Punjabi Taliban phenomenon is seen as a growing threat in the country. Pakistani government had accused them of conducting various terrorist incidents including the July 1, triple suicide bomb attacks on "Data Darbar", a widely revered 11th century Sufi saint shrine in eastern city of Lahore. Over 50 people were killed and another 200 injured in the widely condemned incident.

The group was also held responsible for attack on visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore on March 3, 2009 and bombing of Ahmadi temples in May 28 this year in Lahore that killed over 100 people and a number of other subversions. However, a spokesman of Punjabi Taliban has denied the allegations.

According to Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, 44 percent of the 20,000 madrassas or religious seminaries in Pakistan are located in Punjab province. The Pakistani government has banned 29 faith-based extremist or jihadi organizations. 729 of the 1,764 people on government's most wanted list also are from southern part of Punjab, the stronghold of extremist militants.

Washington had also expressed serious concerns over the growing threat of Punjabi Taliban in Pakistan, particularly with reference to the U.S. led war against terror in the rugged northwest tribal areas of Pakistan.