ISLAMABAD, July 9: Students of the demolished Jamia Hafsa of Lal Masjid demanded on Wednesday that the government rebuild their seminary at its original site, APP reported.

The demand was made at a Shuhada-i-Lal Masjid conference for women, organised in connection with the first anniversary of Lal Masjid operation.

Umme Hassan, who was the principal of the seminary before it was demolished, put forward three demands at the conference: release Maulana Abdul Aziz, her husband and former Khateeb (preacher) of Lal Masjid, resumption of classes in Jamia Faridia and reconstruction of Jamia Hafsa.

Other speakers said they were peace-loving people and wanted to contribute towards progress and prosperity of the country. They stressed that girls should be allowed to continue their education at Jamia Hafsa.

BBC reported that hundreds of burqa-clad women demonstrated outside the Lal Masjid on the occasion to demand reconstruction of Jamia Hafsa. Until that was done, they said they would continue to hold classes in the open at the side of the seminary.

It quoted Umme Hassan as telling the rally within the mosque compound that “our mujahedin laid down their lives for the enforcement of the Islamic system in Pakistan. We are left behind to carry forward their mission.

“We should prepare our children and men for jihad,” she said and the audience responded with chants such as “jihad is our way!”.

According to the BBC Umme Hassan said the present democratic system was the biggest hurdle in the way of enforcing Islamic system in the country and believed that would be possible “only under Khilafat”.