The government has closed down Lal Masjid for an indefinite period after launching a massive search operation to hunt down radical students responsible for creating chaos in the capital.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said the mosque was opened for prayer on the pressure of the local people. However, he said the government had decided to close down the mosque for an indefinite period due to law and order situation created by some of seminaries students.
Cheema made it clear that strong action would be taken against those who were involved in creating law and order situation. He confirmed that 13 people including seven policemen were killed in the Aabapara suicide blast whereas 61 others wounded.
To a question, he said the security agencies have recovered the head of the suicide bomber and it has been sent to the laboratory for investigation. Scores of miscreants, he maintained, had been arrested from Lal Masjid as most of them are those who surrendered during the operation silence.
Cheema announced the government would give Rs 500, 000 each to aggrieved family of policemen besides pension to their widows, free education to children and one employment to their heirs. He told reporters that civilians, who were killed in the bomb-blasts in F-8 and Aabapara would be given Rs 100, 000 to the family of each dead while Rs 50, 000 to every injured person.