ISLAMABAD: Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz delivered his third consecutive Friday sermon over the telephone.

During the last three weeks, the cleric has not visited the mosque due to which there are speculations that he is under house arrest. However, according to police sources, he has decided to stay in Jamia Hafsa seminary to protest withdrawal of security by the government.

Maulana Aziz enjoyed official security for about three years. As many as three police commandos were deputed for his security in 2011. But on December 21, 2014, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a press conference that the government had withdrawn security from the cleric.

The minister said Maulana Aziz was not the khateeb of the mosque as his nephew Maulana Amir Siddique had been appointed the khateeb when Pervez Musharraf was in power.

An official of Lal Masjid, Tehseenullah, confirmed to Dawn that Maulana Aziz had been delivering weekly sermons over the telephone and did not visit the mosque for over three weeks.

“Because of security situation, the Maulana has decided to limit his activities. Moreover, the police have also informed him that his life was in danger,” he said.

When contacted, SSP Operations Mir Viaz Niaz said Maulana Aziz was not under house arrest. “He can go anywhere in the city. However, it is up to him if he delivers the Friday sermons through phone or in person,” he added.

Published in Dawn January 31st, 2015

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