February 13, 2007	Tuesday	Muharram 24, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: Religious elements started rebuilding a mosque the city administration had demolished to widen a road after the government on Monday acquiesced to their demand not to raze any mosque in the city for any reason.

Triumphant hardliners distributed sweets to celebrate the government’s surrender which, however, failed to persuade the clergy controlling the Lal Masjid to end its confrontation with the government.

Maulan Abdul Rashid Ghazi, administrator of Madressah Hafsa for girls of the Lal Masjid, announced at a press conference that his students would not end their occupation of the Children’s Library until the government met all their demands.

That means reconstruction of the six mosques demolished over the years and providing legal cover to 76 other mosques declared by the Capital Development Authority as “unauthorised”.

Madressah Hafsa girls, who initiated the confrontation by occupying the Children’s Library on January 21, said they would allow its child members in from Tuesday but would vacate it only after the government had met the demands.

Initially the government fumed and took a tough posture against the religious forces but gradually it climbed down as the religious elements toughened their stand and became menacing.

Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq took part in the reconstruction of the Hamza Mosque on the Murree Road.

Most of the “unauthorised” mosques had been built during the rule of his father, Gen Ziaul Haq.

The decision to allow reconstruction of Masjid Ameer Hamza was made under an agreement reached between the local administration and Wafaqul Madaris, a supervisory body of seminaries.

The Religious Affairs Minister along with a delegation of the ulema of Wafaqul madaris called on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao to apprise them on the new development.

The government also formed a nine-member committee to discuss issue vis-a-vis illegal construction of madressahs and mosques on encroached state land, to decide such issues in accordance with ‘Islamic precepts’ and refer their recommendations to the authorities for implementation.

The members of the committee are: Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Chaudhry Muhammad Ali (convener), CDA’s Member Planning Brig Nusratullah, Additional Deputy Commissioner (general), Deputy Director Auqaf (ICT), Khateeb of Imdadia mosque, F-6/4, Maulana Zahoor Ahmed Alvi; Khateeb of Khulfa-i-Rashideen mosque, G-9/2, Maulana Nazir Ahmed Farooqi Hazarvi; Khateeb of Darus Salam mosque, G-6/2, Maulana Muhammad Sharif; Wafaqul Madaris deputy secretary Qazi Abdul Rashid; Khateeb of Masjid Syedna Hassan, G-9/4, Maulana Zameer Ahmed Sajid; Khateeb of Masjid Ahle-i-Hadith, G-6/1, Maulana Abdul Aziz Hanif; and Khateeb of Masjid Asna Ashri, G-6/2, Allama Akhtar Abbas.

The demolition of Masjid Ameer Hamza was stated to be the bone of contention between the government and Ulema and due to this confrontation the girl students of Madressah Hafsa occupied children library on January 21.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao while talking to the delegation led by Wafaqul Madaris president Maulana Salimullah Khan on Monday expressed satisfaction over the dialogue process between the Islamabad Administration and the Ulema.