A Pakistani intelligence report says militants are publicly raising funds in Punjab province. According to the BBC, the disclosure comes amid reports of an increased Taliban presence in this politically important province. <br/><br/>The report says at least 17 banned militant groups are operating in the province under different names. It says they are raising donations through religious gatherings, certificate award ceremonies and meetings held in the name of social welfare. <br/><br/>The report identifies the most active among these groups as the Ghazi Force, named after a top cleric of Islamabad's Red Mosque who was killed during a siege of the mosque by security forces in 2007. It says the groups are also trying to set up networks in the southern province of Sindh. Punjab is Pakistan's most populous province and is home to more than half of the country's 160 million people.