MULTAN, Aug 8: Two office-bearers of the Wafaqul Madaris Al Arabia Pakistan (WMAP) provided the government a pretext for Lal Masjid operation by cancelling the affiliation of Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia with the WMAP, says Sahibzada Zahid Mahmood Qasmi, a WMAP Majlis-i-Shoora member.

Maulana Qasmi talking to Dawn by phone on Wednesday said Maulana Salimullah had announced his resignation as WMAP president at a meeting of the Majlis-i-Shoora on Tuesday. He said Salimullah had also announced that WMAP secretary-general Qari Muhammad Hanif would also resign from his office after the examinations of the WMAP to be held in Ramazan.

Qari Hanif Jalandhri, however, said he and Salimullah had not announced their resignation.

Qasmi said a Tahafuz-i-Zawabit-o-Qawaid Action Committee had been formed which would not allow Salimullah and Jalandhry to continue as president and secretary-general of the WMAP.

Qasmi said the president and the secretary-general had faced criticism at the Shoora meeting, and opposition leader in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman rescued them as, what he said, he and other officials of the WMAP were working against madrassahs and ulema.

He alleged that Fazl and WMAP official were damaging the case of Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi, the administrator of Lal Masjid, who is facing a number of cases.

The interior ministry told Senator Maulana Samiul Haq the WMAP had assured the government that they would not protest if the government launched a military operation against the Lal Masjid clerics, Qasmi alleged.

He said they had also planned protests against the Lal Masjid operation and wanted reinstatement of Aziz Ghazi as khateeb of the mosque, besides supporting reconstruction of Jamia Hafsa. He said they would contact Aziz Ghazi and follow his suggestions regarding the affairs of Lal Masjid.

Jalandhry alleged some WMAP members had submitted a petition against the Lal Masjid operation with the Supreme Court on Aug 4, and the bid was to protect President Pervez Musharraf and his government.

Jalandhri also denied that Senator Sami had talked about WMAP’s assurance to the government regarding the Lal Masjid operation.

Salimullah Khan was not available for comment.