The administration of Red Mosque (Lal Masjid) on Friday approached Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking court's intervention to reopen the mosque.
The petition filed by spokesperson Hafiz Ehtesham of Shuhada Foundation - a body which looks after the legal affairs of Red Mosque and Jamia Hafsa - prayed the court for reopening of the mosque. The petition prayed the court that people be allowed to offer prayers by ending the 'siege' of the mosque by the law enforcement agencies and stop any operation against the mosque administration.
Earlier in February, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration reached an agreement with the controversial deposed Red Mosque preacher Abdul Aziz after three days of talks, allowing him to stay in the mosque as long he did not deliver sermons. But on February 7, the cleric had occupied the mosque and laid out his demands. The authorities had laid siege to the mosque and started negotiating with him again.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat confirmed that an agreement had been reached with cleric Aziz and said its details would be announced soon. The controversial cleric said that he had reached a verbal agreement with the authorities and a written pact would be done within three days. "The Islamabad administration would not object to my stay in Lal Masjid and we will be handed over Rs 35 million that we spent on Jamia Hafsa," he said. "Otherwise, the issue of the Jamia Hafsa building being constructed in Sector H-11 of Islamabad will remain controversial," he added.
The issue of a disputed 20-kanal plot allotted to Jamia Hafsa in Islamabad is pending at Supreme Court.
The cleric's demand included the reconstruction of the old building of Jamia Hafsa adjacent to Lal Masjid. It was demolished as it was illegally constructed on government property.
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