ISLAMABAD, Sept 13: City officials and supporters of Maulana Abdul Aziz, the imprisoned former Imam of Lal Masjid, met here on the eve of Ramazan to choose a successor for him but failed.
Islamabad Chief Commissioner Hamid Ali Khan turned down the suggestion by MNA Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz, who led the delegation of the supporters in the meeting, that his nephew be appointed the new Imam.
Instead, the chief commissioner proposed that each side bring two names at the next meeting to be held after few days and choose one of them for the appointment.
Persistent agitation every Friday by the supporters of the former Imam and disagreements on a new Imam had been delaying the reopening of Lal Masjid.
Supporters of Maulana Abdul Aziz again demonstrated on Thursday, demanding that Maulana Abdul Aziz be restored as Imam of Lal Masjid.
Riot police and armoured personnel carriers took positions to face the agitation which also delayed the meeting scheduled for the day between their representatives and Chief Commissioner Khan and Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali on the administration’s promise that the mosque would be reopened before Ramazan.
“We have a fear that the supporters and residents of Sector G-6 (where Lal Mosque is located) would again violate the law and create disturbances if the mosque is opened without proper arrangements,” the chief commissioner told the meeting when it finally convened.
The two city officials advised the representatives of the protesters to settle matters through dialogue and not agitation.
Lal Masjid was closed in July after a bloody showdown between the religious militants holed up inside the mosque and the security forces badly damaged the mosque complex. It was reopened on July 27 after repairs but rioting by the supporters of the old leadership of the mosque on the occasion forced a second closure.
Last month the administration again announced that the mosque would be reopened before Ramazan.
