Despite severe criticism from some opposition parties and civil society to book Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz, the government's assessment based on intelligence reports indicates that any action against the cleric will create law and order situation in the federal capital.
Police and Interior Ministry sources told Business Recorder that keeping in view the consequences of action, the government was showing restraint to avoid chaos, as there were around 30,000 seminaries students in the city, most of them associated with Lal Masjid.
The sources further maintained that law enforcement agencies might face strong resistance from seminaries' students, besides extreme steps from some banned outfits if any action was taken against Aziz.
"The LEAs don't have any strong case against Maulana Aziz and the FIRs registered on the complaints filed by some members of civil society are bailable," said a senior official source who requested not to be named.
Aziz, who was put in fourth schedule under section II-EE of Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 in August last year, has been under strict observation. But the cleric continues to challenge the LEAs time and again by giving protest calls and threats to start a movement for enforcement of Sharia Law.
An officer of the district administration said that in November last year, Maulana Aziz had submitted a surety letter to the Inspector General of Islamabad Police, under which he was bound to respect and cooperate with the federal authorities.
Though he is not officially the prayer leader of Lal Masjid, Aziz attempted to give Friday sermons via telephone which also led to suspension of mobile phone services in the federal capital for three consecutive Fridays, a step which invited strong criticism from the political parties and the civil society.
"The government is feeling threatened that any action against the cleric would generate security problems which is an impression created by Maulana Aziz, the man who has publicly announced support to the terror network Daesh," said Senator Colonel Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (retd), parliamentary leader of MQM in Senate while talking to Business Recorder.
He said the government seemed to be helpless to take action against Aziz but instead was punishing citizens of the federal capital by suspending cell phone services to forestall his Friday sermons. He maintained that Aziz had not only contacts with the terrorist groups but had also appropriated state land and established illegal seminaries.
Jibran Nasir, a member of the civil society has developed a website highlighting evidence against Aziz including arrest warrant and the copies of the FIRs registered against him.
This, so argues Nasir has been uploaded to respond to statements of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on the floor of the National Assembly on December 18, 2015 and in Senate on December 30, 2015.
"As of today, no case is pending against him [Aziz] and I assure this house that in case he violates the law in future, action will be taken", Interior Minister told National Assembly. "If anybody has any evidence against him [Aziz], the government will definitely take action against him," Nisar told the Senate.
Talking to Business Recorder, Jibran Nasir said all the evidence against Maulana Abdul Aziz had been sent to almost all parliamentarians and now it was up to the public representatives to press the government to take action.
"The civil society in the past staged many protests in front of Lal Masjid to press the government to arrest Aziz but in vain," he said, adding now all evidence had been provided and the government should act instead of making excuses.
However, a spokesman of the Lal Masjid Mufti Tehseenullah, in a statement on Friday, rejected the allegations against Aziz, adding the elements were compelling the government for "bloodshed" on the basis of "baseless" allegations.
He accused MQM and APML of Pervez Musharraf of launching a campaign against Aziz in order to force him to withdraw the case he filed against Musharraf.
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