February 08, 2007	Thursday	Muharram 19, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: An imminent show down between the religious elements and the government was averted on Wednesday after the intervention of the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ijzul Haq in the public library occupation issue.

The minister assured the government that the children’s library would be vacated from the Madressah Hafsa students peacefully after holding talks with the management of Lal Masjid and girl students of the seminary.

The religious minister, accompanied by Khateeb of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz, his younger brother Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Maulan Abdul Qayyum Ghazi and Javed Ibrahim Piracha, told reporters after the talks that a committee comprising prominent Ulema would be formed to resolve the issue.

The minister also held talks with the representatives of Madressah Hafsa’s students action committee comprising Humna Abdullah, Khola Abdur Rehman, Amna Azeem and Ramla Saeed.

“Occupation of the children’s library is not appropriate way to press for their demands”, the minister regretted and said the basic purpose of religious institutions is to impart religious education not occupying public property.

He warned that the ‘unlawful’ demands of the maddressah students could lead to confrontation.

The students of the seminary, however, stick to their guns. “We would not surrender the possession [of the library] until the demolished mosques are reconstructed”, they said.

They said no private interest was involved in the occupation of the library but to protect all the mosques.

A senior official requesting not to be named, told Dawn that the capital administration was fully prepared to end the ‘illegal occupation’ of the public property.

The official, however, said the process of ‘indirect’ dialogue between the government and management of Lal Masjid and Madressah Hafsa was underway to resolve the confrontation in a peaceful manner.

He said due to the sensitivity of the issue, the local administration was trying its best to avoid use of force.

The girl students of madressah have been occupying the Modern Children’s Library since January 21 to protest the razing of two mosques.

Meanwhile, the capital administration has called women police and rangers from Punjab to bolster its preparation for a possible crackdown on the elements defying the government writ on the illegal mosques issue.

The local police on Wednesday got vacated all the government and private offices near Lal Masjid as there was a possibility of raid on the seminary if the talks break down.