Pak Supreme Court orders the Government to reopen Lal Masjid

Oct 03: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered to reopen Lal Masjid in Islamabad, which remains closed for three months after a military operation.

The court gave the order in response of a case filed by the alliance of religious seminaries.

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The two member bench of the Supreme Court has asked the government to arrange for next Friday prayer.

The Court also directed the reconstruction of the Jamia Hafsa, a madrassa at the present site within a year.

Jamia Hafsa was demolished after the operation. It is located in the premises of Lal Masjid and used to support strength of 4000 girl students. It also directed that case of missing people and those killed in the in the Lal Masjid operation should be registered and identified.

About hundred people died during military operation.

According to Javed Iqbal Cheema, Interior ministry 60 out of 103 bodies have been identified while 75 bodies are still to be recognized.

Justice Nawaz Abbasi a member of the bench said that the government should ban hooliganism in the Lal Masjid but should not ban prayers there.

While Justice Javed Buttar added that all parties should follow the court decision in its letter and spirit.

The Lal Masjid will open on Wednesday on the Court order at 1.30 pm for prayers.

The leader of a hardline Islamic student movement that had campaigned for the mosque to reopen said followers would come in large numbers on Wednesday to offer prayers.

"We hope that police do not interfere and try to bully us, we will remain peaceful," Asif Dilawar Mahmood, the chief of Tehreek Tuleba-o-Talibat. He added "We are thankful to the Supreme Court for ordering the reopening."

The re opening of the Lal Masjid was advocated by Islamic students and the religious clerics.

The mosque was closed after the clashes between militants and military personal which led to the killing of many extremists. The militants were holding a large number of women and children as hostages, triggering a fierce gun battle between army and pro Taliban militants.

After Lal Masjid Parvez Musharraf found himself in troubled water and was criticized by the Islamic conservatives, but was appreciated by his western counterparts for his fight against terror.