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Lal Masjid cleric ready to surrender in Pakistani capital |
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09:50, July 06, 2007 |
The deputy head of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, Thursday offered to surrender to the government if he and his mother are allowed to stay inside the mosque.
"We will ask all the students to leave the mosque and Jamia Hafsa (girls seminary) to vacate the compound if I and my mother are allowed to stay in the compound," Abdul Rashid Ghazi told Geo television over phone from the besieged compound.
But Chief Commissioner Islamabad Khalid Pervez rejected the offer and said Ghazi and all others should come out of the compound.
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao told a news conference that there would be no talks with Ghazi and he will have to surrender to the government.
Ghazi said that he has not made anyone hostage inside the mosque and seminary and it is just a propaganda.
"There is no terrorist and no militant of banned groups in the compound," the cleric said.
He offered that the government should send investigators inside the compound to check the identity of those who are still in the compound.
Ghazi said he is ready to hand over the mosque to the government-run department and also to give the male seminary Jamia Farediya to an organization of seminaries.
He also said that a government library, which was occupied by his female students some four months ago will also be given back to the government.
The Chief Commissioner Islamabad Khalid Pervez said that Ghazi will have to surrender and must come out of the seminary like other students surrendered over the last three days.
"We will deal with Ghazi in accordance with laws after he is surrendered," he said.
Source: Xinhua
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