ISLAMABAD, July 7: Syed Rehman, sitting forlornly at the Aabpara fountain, is shaken by each bang coming from the Lal Masjid side and his hands go up in prayers for the well-being of his nephew stranded in the mosque building.

“Rehmanuddin is just 15. He has been there for the last two years to memorise the Quran,” Syed told Dawn as he sat amongst a group of several other men waiting for the entrapped relatives, less than 500 metres away from the embattled area.

They sat well within the firing range despite repeated warnings from security forces that stray bullets can hit bystanders within the range of at least three kilometers.

Syed arrived in Islamabad on Saturday morning after hearing people talk of the Lal Masjid incident in his Beloganshal village in Dir.

“Rehmanuddin’s father died when he was very young and his mother asked me to leave as early as possible,” Syed said.

Sitting next to him was Noor Wahid Shah from Batagram, whose nephew was also inside the Lal Masjid.

He said he was waiting for the curfew to relax. Frequent rumours of a final operation compounded his anguish.

His nephew, Noor Malik Shah, 16, was the only son after six daughters, Wahid said. Wahid who heard of the news on the BBC, said, “His family is still unaware of the Lal Masjid happening. There is no news from him. His mobile is not responding. We are poor and send our children to Madressahs for Islamic education, not to prepare them for violence.”

Sher Wali, who had come all the way from Bajaur, feared that his cousin, Fazi Maullah, 23, was also stranded inside the Lal Masjid.