ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The deputy head of
Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, Thursday offered to surrender to the
government if he and his mother are allowed to stay inside the mosque.
"We will ask all the students to leave the mosque and Jamia Hafsa (girls seminary) to vacate the compound if I and my mother are allowed to stay in the compound," Abdul Rashid Ghazi told Geo television over phone from the besieged compound.
A student surrenders outside the Lal
Masjid, or Red Mosque, in Islamabad July 5, 2007. Small groups of radical
students trickled out from Islamabad's besieged Red Mosque on Thursday,
despite warning blasts overnight, raising fears hardcore militants were
keeping some children as human shields. The captured leader of the
mosque's Taliban-style student movement, in an interview broadcast on
state television, said there were 850 students still inside, including 600
women and girls, but he said only 14 men were armed with Kalashnikovs.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
But Chief Commissioner Islamabad Khalid Pervez
rejected the offer and said Ghazi and all others should come out of the
compound.
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao told a
news conference that there would be no talks with Ghazi and he will have to
surrender to the government.
Ghazi said that he has not made anyone hostage inside
the mosque and seminary and it is just a propaganda.
"There is no terrorist and no militant of banned
groups in the compound," the cleric said.
He offered that the government should send
investigators inside the compound to check the identity of those who are still
in the compound.
Ghazi said he is ready to hand over the mosque to the
government-run department and also to give the male seminary Jamia Farediya to
an organization of seminaries.
He also said that a government library, which was
occupied by his female students some four months ago will also be given back to
the government.
The Chief Commissioner Islamabad Khalid Pervez said
that Ghazi will have to surrender and must come out of the seminary like other
students surrendered over the last three days.
"We will deal with Ghazi in accordance with laws
after he is surrendered," he said.
At least 24 people, including two members of the security forces and one journalist, have been killed
in the two days of battles.
ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Interior Minister
Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao Thursday said women were forcibly held inside the
hard-line Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, by armed students of the mosque.
Addressing a news conference here, Sherpao said some 50 to
60 hardcore armed students were still inside the mosque and seminary complex and
they have hand grenades, patrol bombs and automatic guns. Full story
ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The government wanted a
total and unconditional surrender of the remaining personnel in hard-line Lal
Masjid, or Red Mosque, Pakistan's deputy information minister said here
Thursday.
Addressing a news briefing, Minister of State for
Information, Tariq Azam said the government would not offer dialogue to deputy
chief of the mosque Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who had asked for negotiation.
Full story
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. Full story
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