Eye-witness account: tired anxious parents greet harassed-looking children

The ground in front of the Islamabad College for Boys, which generally is the cricket field for scores of young turbaned Taliban in the evening, on Wednesday presented a wholly different sight.
Following Tuesday's bloody clashes between the Rangers and the Madrassa Hafsa Jihadis in the nearby CDA blocks, the playing field was the venue for the Rangers, Elite Eagle force, lady police and ITC administration.
But the most prominent feature was the presence of a large number of harassed relatives of the young students. Hordes of students came out of the seminary in the welcome arms of their parents and relatives, hundreds of whom had gathered awaiting anxiously to know the fate of their loved ones.
The parents wore harassed looks, as they were unaware of their children's condition and wanted to know when their offspring's would come out of the seminary, which had literally become a fortress.
Students came out in small numbers each time the government extended a deadline for the start of the operation. Each time a deadline passed, a few shots were fired an announcement was made that those who wished to come out should do it now before the major offensive begins. The strategy worked and throngs of male and female students marched out.
Scores of media people including cameramen and reporters rushed to take pictures, or interviews those who had been inside the madrassah building. Each student was registered and asked to take refuge in the capital's college buildings by the officials.
The process started early morning and continued till filing of this report. When this correspondent visited the area around 4.30 pm. the Rangers' official told the newsmen that so far 411 male students and 137 girls had taken shelter in the college. What surprised many was how come so many male students had surrendered while many girls had stayed back in the seminary building. According to one report there were more than 2,000 girls still inside the compound.
Despite repeated warnings that the operation was just about to begin, the media men were asked to go back creating some excitement, but for the minor encounters there was no real operation till late at night.
A witness said the government's strategy has worked well. Following every warning some 20 to 30 students would file past the road and with raised hands surrendered themselves. This was a welcome development. There was little bloodshed and every time more students came out unscathed. Though a good number of parents were finally at ease and satisfied, many more were getting worried as shadows lengthened in the late afternoon.
The parents had congregated from various parts of Punjab, NWFP and tribal areas adjoining Afghanistan. They came from nearly all sections of society. A very touching scene was when the body of a young journalist Masud working as editor of Jamia Hafsa's weekly was handed over to his mother and sister. They were carrying the body to his hometown Attock.
Grieved, but dignified they quickly drove past the journalists and cameramen who wanted to interview them. The lady told me he was working as editor of Islah. It was stated that Masud was the son of an army high up, (perhaps a brigadier or major general).
Not surprising at all, a report went round that a major general's two daughters are admitted there. Apart from the army, many government officials who live in the vicinity have admitted their daughters in the seminary.
Free education, free boarding is a God given opportunity for the poor and middle classes as they are not able to admit their children in expensive private schools.
Among the distraught one person, a government official, who lives in G-6 sector and had his daughter admitted in the seminary. For two days he had been seeking assistance of the authorities, but to no avail.
Wistfully and with lot of disdain, he complained that Muslims were being killed in Palestine, Kashmir. While Indians razed Babri Mosque, here the situation was not a bit better. They have pulled down mosques in Islamabad. Tell me how should I describe the powers that be?
As there was lot of excitement by the girls rejoining their parents or otherwise, a sweet popular melody " Larki Diwani' accidentally filled the air from a Jeep belonging to the Elite Force. The car radio was immediately turned off.
This seemed sardonically relevant because one of the interviewee was a young slightly bearded young man. He had come from Gujranwala. Beside him was an elderly burqa-clad woman. His story was that his sister was contacted last night and for three hours relatives argued with her to come out but she refused.
He said his sister was adamant that she would rather give her life than move out. The young man was jobless and so was his father, but one of his brother teaches in a school. Obviously, the seminary was the only place they could send their sister for education.
There was also talk at the scene that security guards of the madrassa were preventing girls to leave, apparently the presence of the female students acted like a shield against a major offensive. This the government has been trying to avoid.
As I arrived in the office, TV channels were reporting that Maulana Abdul Aziz, chief administrator of Jamia Hafsa, was caught while trying to escape masquerading as a girl student. What an end.