Lal Masjid operation: Supreme Court seeks report on its 2007 order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a comprehensive report within seven days from federal government and Islamabad Capital Territory Police (ICT) on the implementation of its order of 2007 in response to a suo motu case relating to action against all those involved in Lal Masjid operation.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry while hearing a suo motu case of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa along with a contempt petition filed by Maulana Abdul Aziz directed the authorities to submit the report to registrar office.
At the outset of hearing, Iftikhar Gilani, the counsel for Wafaq-ul-Madaris, apprised the bench that inspite of apex court's order, the ICT police did not initiate any action against those who were behind the Lal Masjid operation. Gilani claimed that Umm-e-Hassan, the spouse of chief cleric of Lal Masjid, had herself visited the police station, but the police refused to register an FIR against persons responsible for the operation.
He urged the court to direct Islamabad police to register an FIR. Upon this, the Chief Justice said the court was not performing the functions of police. He told the counsel that he could approach the High Court for implementation of the apex court's orders.
During the course of hearing, chief cleric Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz requested the court to allow him to speak because he had something very important to share with the court. The chief justice allowed him to speak.
When the cleric prolonged his speech, Justice Chaudhary asked him to articulate it into arguments instead of a speech. Aziz said Pakistan was created in the name of Islam. He loudly said that the court should take a suo motu notice and direct the parliament to pass a bill for the imposition of Sharia law in the country. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain observed that policymaking was not court's job, rather it was the job of civil society and the government.
Advocate Tariq Asad, the counsel for Maulana Abdul Aziz and Umm-e-Hassan, argued that the apex court in its 2007 orders had directed the federal government to pay salaries to the teachers of Jamia Fareedia. However, the government did not act on those orders. "CDA is also creating hindrance in the construction of Jamia Hafsa against the orders of the Supreme Court," said Asad. Upon this, the court issued notices to the Secretary Interior, Chairman CDA, and Chief Commissioner Islamabad and directed them to appear before the bench in person on April 25.