ISLAMABAD, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani government Wednesday again
asked students and leaders at a mosque in the capital to surrender to amicably
resolve the standoff in the mosque.
"We are not giving an exact time for the surrender but we want immediate
solution. If the mosque and seminary were not vacated, then action would be
taken," Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem said.
"If they surrendered, there is no need to take action," Azeem told a news
conference.
He said that those students, who have killed people and burned government
property, would face action but the innocent would be allowed to go home.
Meanwhile, Azeem confirmed 10 people killed and 94 injured during Tuesday's
clashes.
He said that chief Maulana Abdul Aziz and deputy chief Abdul Rashid Ghazi
of the Lal Majid mosque and seminary Jamia Hafsa would not get amnesty and they
would face trial for their actions.
He said that there were likely 2,000 to 5,000 persons inside the mosque.
Azeem said that hospitals were on alert but "we hope that no such situation
arises to cause more casualties".
He stressed that the government had been showing maximum restraint and will
show restraint also in future.
"We can solve the problem amicably," he said, adding that deadlines were
extended to give the students opportunity to surrender.
Earlier, over 300 female and male students Wednesday left the seminaries in
the Pakistani capital to surrender before the authorities.
The authorities have adopted a strategy to observe utmost restraint to
avoid bloodshed, law enforcement officials told the private Geo TV.
The strategy has produced positive results and more than 100 female and 200
male students of the seminaries affiliated to the Lal Masjid mosque have
surrendered before the officials, they said.
Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf has announced payment of 5,000
rupees (one U.S. dollar is about 60 rupees) as travel expenses to each student
who will lay down arms.
The parents have been advised to reach a wagon stand near the mosque to
take their children back home.
Early Wednesday, the Pakistani government decided to launch operation and
impose curfew near the red mosque in the capital following Tuesday's bloodshed
clashes between religious students and security forces.
Shoot order has been issued to those who come out armed from the mosque,
Lal Masjid. And the government has ordered the mosque leaders to surrender.
According to the private Geo TV, Pakistani President General Pervez
Musharraf said that the deaths in Lal Masjid incident were quite deplorable.
A high-level meeting chaired by Musharraf discussed all options including
operation against the Lal Masjid management.
The meeting also reviewed the public reaction in connection with the
operation of Lal Masjid.