100 students of Lal Masjid surrender
Islamabad, July 04: At least 100 students of the radical Lal Masjid here surrendered today before a fresh deadline set by the Pakistani government ended even as the two hardline clerics along with several other students remained holed up inside.
The surrender came as President Pervez Musharraf announced a reward of Rs 5,000 for every student who surrenders besides pardoning them and giving travel facilities to all of them.
Pakistani officials said around 100 male and female students of the madrasa have surrendered. Before that six girl students of the seminary came out and were taken away by their parents.
The government was expected to fix a new deadline after a meeting of federal cabinet in view of the "mass desertions".
Some students who spoke to waiting journalists complained that they were being pressurised not to leave by mosque authorities.
The two radical clerics, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rahid Ghazi, were still defiant inside the mosque along with some hardline students and were resisting efforts to surrender.
Reports also said that the bodies of three students who were killed by army snipers were lying inside the mosque.
The bloody stand off between the mosque students and the security forces surrounding the seminary has till now claimed 21 lives and injured over 150.
Earlier, Information Secretary, Anwar Mehmood had announced that 1130 IST had been fixed as the new deadline for surrender failing which the forces might storm the mosque where two radical clerics and several hundreds of students were holed up since last night.
The clerics had defied 0330 hrs IST deadline to surrender even as they attempted to negotiate through mediators.
The government had announced the new deadline as several students had indicated to their parents over mobile phones that they were willing to surrender.
Army officials permitted parents of six students to go near the besieged madrasa.
The government decided to encourage this as it would reduce casualties if more students specially the girls whose numbers were stated to be in few hundreds in the event of any raid.
Meanwhile, in apparent retaliatory action, four army personnel were killed and two others critically injured in a landmine attack in North Waziristan today.
Pakistan`s defence spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad told reporters here that four soldiers were killed and two injured when their vehicle which they were riding ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while on its way from Mir Ali (North Waziristan) to Bannu.
Arshad said the incident need not necessarily be connected to the crackdown on Lal Masjid clerics and students.
Bureau Report
00 students of Lal Masjid surrender
-
star_munir
- Posts: 1670
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 12:55 am
- Contact:
-
star_munir
- Posts: 1670
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 12:55 am
- Contact:
Top militant commander inside Pak Lal Masjid: Report
Islamabad, July 04: A top Islamist militant commander with extensive fighting experience in Afghanistan has based himself with 40 fighters inside the radical Lal Masjid where at least 21 people have been killed in gunbattles between madrassa students and security forces.
The unnamed commander belonging to Mehsud tribe and having vast fighting experience in the restive Afghanistan has managed to enter Jamia Hafsa with a group of 40 fighters to support the students of Lal Masjid against the government, a source privy to the masjid said.
The jihadis who entered the masjid are well-equipped and well trained for situation like this, the source was quoted as saying by the Post Daily.
One of the brothers of a member of national assembly from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is also accompanying the commander to strengthen the hands of radical students.
The Lal Masjid administration would be in a better position to take on the security forces after putting the girl students holed up inside the madrassa in safe locations, sources said.
Bureau Report
Islamabad, July 04: A top Islamist militant commander with extensive fighting experience in Afghanistan has based himself with 40 fighters inside the radical Lal Masjid where at least 21 people have been killed in gunbattles between madrassa students and security forces.
The unnamed commander belonging to Mehsud tribe and having vast fighting experience in the restive Afghanistan has managed to enter Jamia Hafsa with a group of 40 fighters to support the students of Lal Masjid against the government, a source privy to the masjid said.
The jihadis who entered the masjid are well-equipped and well trained for situation like this, the source was quoted as saying by the Post Daily.
One of the brothers of a member of national assembly from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is also accompanying the commander to strengthen the hands of radical students.
The Lal Masjid administration would be in a better position to take on the security forces after putting the girl students holed up inside the madrassa in safe locations, sources said.
Bureau Report
-
star_munir
- Posts: 1670
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 12:55 am
- Contact:
Musharraf offers Rs 5000 for surrender of radical clerics
Islamabad, July 04: In a move to diffuse the standoff between the government and the radical clerics, Musharraf on Wednesday offered to pay Rs 5000 each to those who surrendered themselves. Earlier, over 100 students of Jamia Hafza had surrendered as the Pakistan government’s deadline of 1130 IST for the radical clerics and students of the hardline Lal Masjid here to surrender came to an end.
The deadline was for the "mosque administration to surrender, hand over their weapons" to troops outside the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, Information Secretary Anwar Mehmood told reporters here.
"The men who surrender will be ensured safety," he said.
The government also allowed families of some students to go inside the mosque and talk to their wards.
Bureau Report
-
star_munir
- Posts: 1670
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 12:55 am
- Contact:
Over 800 Lal Masjid students surrender; stand-off escalates
Islamabad, July 04: The stand-off between Pakistani troops and militant clerics and students of Lal Masjid escalated today as they exchanged heavy fire while over 800 students surrendered amid reports that security forces may storm the complex.
The authorities extended the deadline periodically for students to surrender as hardcore elements with suspected links to miltant group Jaish-e- Mohammad continued to remain defiant and exchanged automatic weapons fire, a day after clashes left 21 dead and 150 injured.
Two hundred burqa clad girls were among those who surrendered and the number of militants in the mosque and a women`s seminary was not known as armoured personnel carriers kept a tight vigil at Lal Masjid. Helicopter gunships also circled overhead.
Curfew was imposed in the area surrounding the mosque and electricity to the complex cut in the night with authorities making repeated pleas to those inside the complex to surrender. President Pervez Musharraf has offered an Amnesty package to those who surrender.
The Pakistani forces resorted to tear gas shelling to drive out those holed up in the mosque, Chief Commissioner of the Islamabad Police, Chaudhry Iftikhar said.
This resulted in firing from inside the mosque, leading to heavy exchange of fire between the two sides, media reports said. Musharraf has cleared an operation, if necessary, to flush out the militants, "DawnNews" television reported.
Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani told a press conference the government was working to "ensure minimum loss of human lives during any operation against Lal Masjid."
There were reports that the helicopter gunships were fired upon the militants within the mosque while flying close to the Lal Masjid
Soon after surrendering, many boys and girls told media that several thousand students, believed to be heavily-armed hardcore elements, continued to resist surrender and vowed to carry on their fight till death. Till this evening the government gave seven deadlines to surrender and wanted to offer some more before it decided to conduct an operation to flush out the hardcore elements.
Estimates of the remaining militants varied from 2,000 to 5,000 some of whom were believed to be members of the banned Jaish-e-Muhammad.
Lal Masjid`s madrassas houses around 7,000 students, mostly hailing from poor families of remote areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
As the students surrender, they are being thoroughly screened with the clerics claiming that many of them were suicide bombers.
While the male students, who surrendered, were sent to Adiala prison for interrogation, the girls had been handed over to their parents.
Many of those surrendered complained that they have not received Rs 5,000, which offered by Musharraf as expenses to go home.
Some complained that they were being prevented from going out of the mosque while others said they came out of their free will. But most of them said they would again go back if they get an opportunity as they believed in devoting their lives to carry out `jihad.`
Bureau Report
Islamabad, July 04: The stand-off between Pakistani troops and militant clerics and students of Lal Masjid escalated today as they exchanged heavy fire while over 800 students surrendered amid reports that security forces may storm the complex.
The authorities extended the deadline periodically for students to surrender as hardcore elements with suspected links to miltant group Jaish-e- Mohammad continued to remain defiant and exchanged automatic weapons fire, a day after clashes left 21 dead and 150 injured.
Two hundred burqa clad girls were among those who surrendered and the number of militants in the mosque and a women`s seminary was not known as armoured personnel carriers kept a tight vigil at Lal Masjid. Helicopter gunships also circled overhead.
Curfew was imposed in the area surrounding the mosque and electricity to the complex cut in the night with authorities making repeated pleas to those inside the complex to surrender. President Pervez Musharraf has offered an Amnesty package to those who surrender.
The Pakistani forces resorted to tear gas shelling to drive out those holed up in the mosque, Chief Commissioner of the Islamabad Police, Chaudhry Iftikhar said.
This resulted in firing from inside the mosque, leading to heavy exchange of fire between the two sides, media reports said. Musharraf has cleared an operation, if necessary, to flush out the militants, "DawnNews" television reported.
Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani told a press conference the government was working to "ensure minimum loss of human lives during any operation against Lal Masjid."
There were reports that the helicopter gunships were fired upon the militants within the mosque while flying close to the Lal Masjid
Soon after surrendering, many boys and girls told media that several thousand students, believed to be heavily-armed hardcore elements, continued to resist surrender and vowed to carry on their fight till death. Till this evening the government gave seven deadlines to surrender and wanted to offer some more before it decided to conduct an operation to flush out the hardcore elements.
Estimates of the remaining militants varied from 2,000 to 5,000 some of whom were believed to be members of the banned Jaish-e-Muhammad.
Lal Masjid`s madrassas houses around 7,000 students, mostly hailing from poor families of remote areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
As the students surrender, they are being thoroughly screened with the clerics claiming that many of them were suicide bombers.
While the male students, who surrendered, were sent to Adiala prison for interrogation, the girls had been handed over to their parents.
Many of those surrendered complained that they have not received Rs 5,000, which offered by Musharraf as expenses to go home.
Some complained that they were being prevented from going out of the mosque while others said they came out of their free will. But most of them said they would again go back if they get an opportunity as they believed in devoting their lives to carry out `jihad.`
Bureau Report