Adil Najam
UPDATE: Reports in the Pakistan media suggest that the Lal Masjid leader has finally been arrested while trying to escape wearing a burqa. According to a BBC update:
The leader of a radical mosque besieged by Pakistani security forces in Islamabad has been caught trying to escape wearing a woman’s burqa. Security forces seized Abdul Aziz as he tried to leave the Red Mosque amid a crowd of women… He was wearing a burqa that also covered his eyes,” a security official told the AFP news agency about the cleric’s escape bid. “Our men spotted his unusual demeanour. The rest of the girls looked like girls, but he was taller and had a pot belly.“
ORIGINAL POST: Things are moving fast and the showdown at Lal Masjid, Islamabad that began this morning is now ready to turn into an even more real battle. The day took the lives of at least 10 people, possibly more. These included policemen, soldiers, by-standers, a journalist, and a number of Madrassah students. (For details see our earlier post and update comments on it, here).
The latest - and this keeps changing by the minute - is that in a mid-night press conference the government has given an ultimatum to the management of the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) to surrender. There is no indication that they will. In the past things have always ended with ‘negotiated settlements.’ This time the likelihood of this happening is much less. A curfew has been imposed in the area. Tanks have been called in. So have special forces.
Metroblog Islamabad is doing a wonderful job of keeping abreast with breaking news. It reports, through Dawn TV, that 111 Brigade (Army) from Rawalpindi has already assembled around the mosque. Ambulances have been fully stocked. Hospitals are on alert. An ultimatum for time has been given (3.30 PST… NOW!). The entire area has been cordoned off.
Here is a news clip from ARYOne, broadcast earlier.
In an article written last week for The News, I had argued that inaction was not a solution and because of so many delays and policies of apeasement some confrontation was now becoming inevitable.
This episode [i.e., the Chinese massage parlor case] will further embolden the already violence-prone brigands at the two madressahs and we are likely to see an escalation in their demands as well as their tactics. Meanwhile, the government has once again demonstrated an inability and/or unwillingness to act decisively. The much-cherished ‘writ of the state’ continues to rot in tatters.
This, it seems, is what happened when earlier the Lal Masjid management incited this escalation in response to the government’s build-up of force around the mosque. In that article, I had gone on to argue that:
Just like standing still in the middle of the road at the sight of the blinding lights of a truck speeding towards it does not save the life of the stunned deer, doing nothing about this escalating crisis out of fear that doing anything will only make things worse is not going to help the government, or Pakistan. Something needs to be done, and done fast.
I had called in the article for the government to “act to judiciously dismantle militancy at Lal Masjid.” This situation has to be responded to. But the key word remains “act judiciously.” What is really important is how that action is taken. Further bloodshed should be avoided. At least minimized. One hopes that any action is intelligent action and all steps are taken to minimize loss of life. Not just because one does not wish to create needless ‘martyrs.’ Much more so because all life - and everyone’s life - is precious.
The technologies to undertake low casualty offensives are available. The will and sagacity to do so is needed. The test for the government - acting with force in the very center of the Federal Capital - is not only what it does, but how it does it.
Photo credit: Associated Press, B.K. Bangash.
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Latest: Maulana Aziz arrested. The coward was trying to escape in a burqa as part of a group of women who were surrendering but the security ppl became suspicious and got him.
Right… very thought-provoking article here, contrasting Pakistan today with Wiemar Germany…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/miscellaneous/story/2007 /07/070704_wajahat_analysis_zs.shtml
It is with a very heavy heart that I’m forced to say that support for not only these brothers but other rightwing elements in Pakistan is now too large to take for granted… we continue to harp on the theme of how the silent majority is moderate/non-violent/whatever, but in doing so, we often end up ignoring how deep the tentacles of these fundos have sunk into our society… we have not seen one protest against these people… we have not heard one politician speak out against them… next time you’re outside, on the streets or in the nearest market, try counting the number of people with beards… of course not everyone with a beard can automatically be classified as a fundo, but unless the beard is short, that is the assumption one would have to make… now try to recall if there were this many bearded people ten years ago or twenty years ago…
This drama will soon come to en end. Lal Masjid cannot fight the state power, Ghazi’s claims of putting up resistance notwithstanding. In fact, this action should have been taken long time ago when the Lal Masjid students had taken over the children’s library. Perhaps the loss of lives that has already occurred could have been avoided.
But the question is:
Will the Ghazi brothers be brought to justice for their crimes? Will the illegal encroachment of Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia be vacated?
If not, then very soon we will have another standoff, if not in Lal masjid, somewhere else.
I hope that now the wheels have been set in motion, the Govt does not flinch when the going gets tough.
BTW, what is this crap about surrendering to the ulema??? Do we now have yet another parallel judiciary?
Agree with all those above who said that Pakistan was made for Muslims, not for Islam…subtle difference my dear Watson i.e.Adnan Siddiqui.
One last warning has been given with 7 pm the final deadline (17 minutes left), and the govt is saying that there won’t be another extention after that.
With the heavy firing going on, the helicopters in the air and armed vehicles ready to go, the signs are that there is going to be a major operation pretty soon.
Most political figures have gone in the background. Fazl-ur-Rehman is an exception, he tried to get the lal masjid maulana to surrender but the latter refused, so the attempts to negotiate a peaceful end have come to a deadend.
There is talk that the govt might use some nerve gas in the operation so that loss of life can be minimized. It is believed that the lal masjid ppl do have some gas masks though.
There is also a bomb disposal squad ready near the lal masjid as a precautionary measure.
Live coverage on aaj tv.
http://www.jumptv.com/en/channel/aajtv/
Latest on geo: 4 military helicopters are flying near the lal masjid and the exchange of firing is also getting intense. The helicopters have not fired anything yet, but they are probably fully armed. There has been very heavy shelling.
Another news: Fazl-ur-Rehman spoke to one of the two brothers and asked him to surrender, but he refused, saying that he would prefer shahadat.
Couple of comments:
I’m not sure why the electricity of G-6 continued to be stopped during the day. They should probably also have allowed an hour or so of relaxation for the general public in the sector so that they can at least get their basic requirements such as food etc.
Having said that, overall, I think the government is handling the situation well by trying to minimize the casualties. It shows that our authorities can deal with a difficult situation with maturity, it’s just that our leaders choose not to make use of their senses.
Is there any actual evidence that this is “stage drama”?
I have no doubt that there have been many incidents that have been stage dramas in the past but what proof is there to label this incident as such?