The government on Tuesday said it will follow no more trade-off policy with the hard-liners of the Lal Masjid for rescuing the two of the four policemen held hostage on May 18. To avoid any bloodshed, the government would use all available options to settle the issue through dialogue.
Whereas crackdown would be the last resort keeping in view the sanctity of mosque and safety of female students, said Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema (Retd), Chairman, National Crisis Management Cell at the weekly press briefing on the ongoing law and order situation in the country.
However, he categorically stated that there would not be further trade off with the two clerics of the Lal Masjid to meet any demand. He said the issue of illegal occupation of children library by the female students of Madrassa-e-Hafsa, duly supported by the management of Lal Masjid and continuous detention of two policemen is regrettable and remains a point of serious concern for the government.
"Images of women performing sentry duties, brandishing Kalashnikovs and lathes appearing on international media is tarnishing the image of the country in the comity of nations," he regretted.
The government made hectic efforts through political leaders, well known Ulemas, heads of Wafaq-ul-Madaris and officials from administration to resolve issues, but the Lal Masjid administration paid no heed, he blamed.
Cheema demanded of the Lal Masjid Administration to unconditionally release the two policemen vacate the children library and remove all signs of militancy from inside and around the mosque premises.
The government, while displaying extreme restraint, has acceded to their major demand of reconstruction of mosques at alternate sites; construction of which has already begun, he added.
Cheema said the mosque administration was demanding release of their 11 students including those three who were booked under Anti-Terrorist Act for raiding and setting ablaze CDs shop in Barakahu. These are not fair demands and government could not fulfil them, he maintained.
He said government better knows what it has to do at the right time and it would not give any deadline to the Lal Masjid administration. We have taken pre-emptive measures in Islamabad to handle any law and order problem. The government would not allow spread of Lal Masjid's influence in the country, he opined.
He admitted that police arrested 39 persons mostly students of Jamia Faridia on the charges of creating law and order situation.
Responding to a question, Cheema said there is no significant breakthrough as far as the investigations regarding Charssada and Peshawar suicide blasts are concerned.
Comments
Comments are closed.