ISLAMABAD, July 10: A civil society organisation has demanded a judicial probe into the Lal Masjid episode to investigate the causes of the eruption of the crisis as well as the way it was handled by the authorities.

The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI- Pakistan) in a meeting, presided over by its Executive Director Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, called for the formation of a high-powered judicial commission empowered to identify the weaknesses and determine responsibility of those blamed for inaction or mishandling the situation.

It said the recommendations of the proposed commission should be helpful in developing a comprehensive policy vis-a-vis the menace of extremism, which needs to be addressed through a multi-faceted strategy and not just through excessive use of force.