The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration on Sunday claimed that it has reached an agreement with Lal Masjid administration to settle the ongoing cold war between the government and religious leaders over the occupation of children library by female seminaries in the protest of demolishing Jamia Hafsa.
Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Chaudhry Mohammad Ali told this correspondent that ICT administration held a meeting with Ulema delegation who came from Karachi and an agreement was struck with the Ulema to settle the issue peacefully. The Ulema delegation comprises Maulana Abdul Razzaq Sikandar, Mofti Taqi Usmani, Maulana Salimullah Khan and Maulana Adil Khan.
However, a spokesman of Lal Masjid administration Abdul Qayyum dispelled the impression saying neither that any meeting held between the two groups nor such an agreement was made.
According to the spokesman, an inconclusive meeting was held between Lal Masjid administration and the Ulema, who came from Karachi but there was not any meeting with the ICT administration.
On the other side, the Deputy Commissioner said that we came to an agreement with the Ulema to settle the issue peacefully, however he was reluctant to disclose what the agreement was made with the Mosque administration.
A number of such negation attempts were made between the ICT and Masjid administrations for the last couple of days but remained inconclusive as the female burqa-clad madrassha students have been continuously asking to fulfil their demands or face dire consequences.
Both the law-enforcement agencies and the armed seminary students were fleecing their muscles in the pretext of any possible encounter between the two forces.
Whereas the law-enforcement agencies were waiting for the conclusion of talks between the local administration and the Lal Masjid management for the resolution of the Jamia Hafsa issue peacefully.
According to some reports, ICT administration also send its strategy for the operation against the what they termed 'Illegal occupation' has been sent to the Ministry of Interior and an operation would probably be conducted, if they failed to settle the issued peacefully.