Security forces stand guard at surroundings of hardline Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque in Islamabad, July 5, 2007. Pakistani government wanted a total and unconditional surrender of the remaining personnel in the mosque, Pakistan's deputy information minister said Thursday. (Xinhua/Yao Bo) Photo Gallery>>>

    ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Head of the hard-line Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz, who was arrested on Wednesday night, has asked the students inside the mosque and seminary complex to either surrender or escape under the given situation.

    The appeal came as the security forces Thursday mounted pressure on the students, who are still showing resistance from inside the mosque and seminary Jamia Hafsa.

    Maulana Abdul Aziz asked his brother Abdul Rashid Ghazi, the deputy of the mosque and seminary to come out of the besieged complex, when he was produced on the state-run Pakistan Television(PTV) in an interview.

    Abdul Aziz was arrested Wednesday by the security personnel deployed outside the mosque while attempting to escape in the guise of a female student wearing Burqa veil.

    He admitted that he wanted to escape the mosque to avoid his arrest.

    Almost 250 students along with his brother Abdul Rashid Ghazi are still inside the seminary, he said.

    The mosque head admitted that there were 13 or 14 automatic Klashnikov rifles and masks in the seminary, which he said were provided to them by some Pakistani "friends." But he did not disclose the identity of the "friends."

    The Imam said that under the situation outside the mosque, it is dangerous to stay inside.

    "Our objective was to pressurize the government," he said, and admitted that they instilled the spirit of "Jehad" among the students.

    "The entire campaign was meant for the enforcement of Sharia," he said.

    He also said he had sympathies with banned Jehadi groups.

    Maulana also admitted that his students kidnapped some people, but insisted that all the actions were taken in response to the government's steps to demolish mosques and to detain teachers of his girls' seminary.

    Answering a question, he admitted it was wrong to snatch the arms from the police, but said that was students' reaction to the security forces' measures of erecting barbed wires near the mosque and seminary complex.