New Delhi: In a disturbing development, Pakistan's Punjab province bordering India has emerged as the biggest recruitment centre for 'jehadis' in the country and Sindh is being rapidly converted into another major source for fighters.

More than 50 per cent of 'jehadis' in Pakistan come from Punjab province alone. Around 8,000 of them have been killed so far fighting security forces in Jammu and Kashmir while another 4,000 have died in Afghanistan, according to a leading think-tank. Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba has 29 recruitment centres in Punjab, Jaish-e-Mohammad nine and other outfits active in Kashmir, excluding Hizbul Mujahideen, 14 centres, Strategic Foresight Group says in its recent publication 'Pakistan's Provinces'.

The sectarian group Sipah-e-Sahaba also has 16 offices all over the province out of 28 in the entire country.

The presence of over 5,500 religious seminaries has also given a boost to the recruitment of 'jehadis' from Punjab. Of these, 3,000 belong to the Deobandi school of thought, 1,500 are Barelvis, 800 Ahle Hadis and 120 are Shia seminaries.

Even extremist religious party Jamaat-e-Islami has 100 seminaries in the province, the think-tank says.

Most of the recruits come from underdeveloped regions of Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Gazi Khan districts.

"For the poor, the social security given by these 'jehadi' groups is an assurance and an attraction," the report says.