ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The deputy leader of hard-line Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi, has agreed to lay down arms and surrender, the private Geo TV reported Thursday.

    The TV channel quoted Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azeem as saying on Wednesday night that all the occupants in Lal Masjid had agreed to surrender, and the crisis was drawing to an end.

    Lal Masjid management was concerned about the safety and sanctity of human lives, Maulana said, adding that he hoped the standoff to end within two to three hours, according to Geo.

    The remarks of Maulana came in the wake of the arrest of his brother Maulana Abdul Aziz, the chief of Lal Masjid on Wednesday night. He was caught by security forces when attempting to escape.

    The Lal Masjid crisis erupted when religious students snatched arms from security forces and provoked cross firing on Tuesday.

    The death toll of the clashes between Lal Masjid students and security forces has risen to 16 and 98 people suffered injuries, according to a Pakistani newspaper Daily Times.