ISLAMABAD: Police raided Lal Mosque on Monday night and seized all published material. The residences of the Khateeb and deputy Khateeb of the mosque were also searched.
"Mahmoud!"
"Yessir!"
"Root through their underwear drawers and let me know what you find!" |
A senior police officer said Maulana Abdul Aziz, Khateeb of the mosque, and his deputy Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi were wanted for questioning. However, Maulana Abdul Aziz managed to escape from the scene.
| "Curly-toed slippers, don't fail me now!" |
Maulana Aziz has been very critical of government policies and there have been reports in recent weeks that the government may remove him. The Imam also criticised the ongoing military operation in Wana saying that the officers should not be declared martyrs, sources said. The Interior Ministry has received reports that Mr Aziz was also instigating families of detained army officers to hold demonstrations.
"Y'can't be a martyr if you get shot by a tough guy in a turban! It's in the Koran someplace. You could look it up!"
"I got the whole Koran memorized, an' it ain't in there!"
"Well, my old imam used to say it was so, an' he was real holy. Had a beard down to here, and used to beat his wife somethin' awful!"
"Oh. Well. In that case you're prob'ly right..." |
Demonstrators staged a protest in front of Lal Mosque against the district administration and police for abusing power and raiding sacred places. MMA leaders in a press conference condemned the raid and said the government was violating human rights.
| "Yeah! Youse can't do that! We got rights, y'know!" |
NNI adds: The deputy Khateeb said they had allegedly received threats from the government. "We were threatened not to talk against the government," Deputy Khateeb Rashid Ghazi said. |