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Funeral prayers for Lal Masjid victims: More than 10,000 people attend JD-organised funeral
More than 10,000 people offered funeral prayers in absentia for victims of the Lal Masjid operation at Jamaatud Dawa’s (JD) Jamia Masjid Al Qadsia in Chauburji on Friday. AFP reported more than 20,000 men, women and children in attendance. JD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was seen crying during the prayer, which he led. Earlier, he told worshippers during his Friday sermon that the operation was an operation against every mosque and religious seminary in Pakistan. This was the largest prayer of its kind in the city.

MMA protests: On the appeal of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), thousands of people protested the government’s crackdown on Lal Masjid earlier this week. The protestors urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of ‘state terrorism’ to avoid a civil war. They urged the government to step down in wake of the operation in which scores of people including soldiers were killed. The protestors alleged that the government was covering up the mess it had made of the operation. They claimed that hundreds of men, women and children had been killed, but that the government had enforced curfews and prohibited the media from entering the area to hide its misdeeds. Clerics denounced the operation against Lal Masjid during their Friday sermons. They also denounced the government’s attitude towards religious people. They demanded President Pervez Musharraf resign because his government had failed to protect the life and property of the people of Pakistan. The MMA (Lahore chapter) demonstrated outside the Lahore Press Club. Liaqat Baloch led the protestors. A large police contingent was deployed around the press club and traffic was halted during the protest.

Punjab University: The Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) also offered funeral prayers in absentia at the Punjab University. An IJT release stated that more than 4,000 students, teachers and PU employees attended the prayer.
Posted by: Fred 2007-07-14
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=193411