June 07, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 6: Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Al Aseeri went to Lal Masjid on Wednesday to meet its administration clerics who had expressed disappointment over the refusal by Imam-i-Kaaba Dr Sheikh Abdur Rehman Al Sudais to visit the mosque.

The ambassador’s visit appeared to be a bid to pacify the Lal Masjid administration which had extended several invitations to the Imam of Kaaba.

The mosque administration had accused the government of not allowing the Imam to go to Lal Masjid. Lal Masjid clerics Maulana Abdul Aziz and Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi asked the ambassador why was the Imam reluctant to meet them?

During the meeting, which lasted more than one and a half hours, they apprised the ambassador of their demands.After the meeting, Maulana Ghazi said: “We have apprised the ambassador of our demands, particularly the enforcement of Sharia.”

He said with the enforcement of Sharia all problems confronting the country could be solved.“The government can issue an ordinance for immediate enforcement of Sharia,” he said.

Maulana Ghazi said the ambassador had been asked that the government should at least implement Saudi laws in the country.

He said he had assured Mr Asseri that students of Jamia Hafsa would vacate the children’s library if the Islamic system was enforced in the country.

He said: “We do not want a civil war in the country, in fact we are struggling for Islam and not for personal gains.”

He told the Saudi envoy that the government provided land for English-medium schools, but hesitated to allot land for seminary.

Meanwhile, a twelve-member delegation from Lal Masjid led by Maulana Mohammed Farooq and Maulana Abdul Qayoom held talks with Imam-i-Kaaba Dr Sheikh Abdur Rehman Al Sudais at Punjab House in Murree late on Wednesday night.