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.“

Adil Najam

I have commented before (here, here and here) that recent events in Pakistan, especially the dynamics unleashed by popular movement in support of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, have deeper significance than just the future of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry ; or for that matter merely the future of Gen. Musharraf’s government – with uniform or without.

One – I believe immense – significance is that everyone now understands and talks about the importance of institutions and institutional sanctity. This is no small thing in itself. Another – I believe equally immense – significance is that it marks a return of ‘politics’ in the best sense of the term (read Hussain Haqqani on why politics is good and why it is important). Political decisions ought to be political. Too many people have denied that reality for to long. But, now people are demanding political solutions. That can only be good.

What we have also seen – and this is related to the first point above – is a new assertiveness by the judiciary.

Adil Najam

Once again (here, here and here) the situation is tense around the Lal Masjid in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. More tense than it has been before. So tense, in fact, that it seems like a real battle this time. Fire has been exchanged, one soldier of the Pakistan Rangers has been killed and a number of madrassah students wounded.

According to The News:

A Rangers man was killed and two wounded in shootout between Lal Masjid students and Rangers. The incident caused tension in the locality in Islamabad resulting in closure of shopping centres and shops. The incident also caused traffic jam in the area. Federal Minister of Interior Aftab Sherpao has demanded the mosque administration to hand over persons involved in the firing over the law enforcement agencies to authorities. A girl and several security men have been wounded in the firing incident, which were transferred to hospital. Emergency has been declared and alert announced at all hospitals in the federal capital. An official of Rangers talking to the media has said that the students of Lal Masjid started the firing. Talking to Geo News Federal Minister of Interior Aftab Sherpao has said the government doesn’t want bloodshed but it would not tolerate such incidents of lawlessness. He demanded hand over of the people involved in the incident to the authorities.