Jamia Hafsa-Lal Masjid complex: visit gives birth to serious doubts

Media persons on Thursday visited the complexes of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid for the first time since the "Operation Silence" was launched on July 3, amid a score of queries most of them remained unanswered or half answered by a spokesman of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Major General Waheed Arshad, DG, ISPR received journalists and briefed them inside the Jamia Hafsa complex where once used to do so by late Abdul Rasheed Ghazi. Journalists from local and foreign media, who had anxiously been waiting for eye-witnessing the war-torn buildings of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid for the last many days, raised different queries.
The media persons observed wide-range of damages have been caused to the both complexes from each side and some rooms were also seen burnt, including the front wall of Lal Masjid. Whereas suffocation from gasses and blood smell still felt there.
The militants had constructed bunkers at the roofs and inside the much-planned constructed buildings of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid, from where they retaliated heavy contingents of law enforcement agencies.
Two basement, which were reportedly used as bunkers were also seen and Abdul Rasheed was reportedly there when the commandos managed to reach the basement and killed him along his fierce fighters.
General Waheed showed all the weapons and ammunitions recovered from the militants after occupation of the buildings, which include kalashnikov, stand-guns, hand-grenades, suicide belts, bullets, petrol-bombs, mines, masks and even sticks.
Belongings of the students and militants -clothes, bed-sheets, blankets, books etc, were scattered everywhere in the Jamia Hafsa. However, there was confusion that how the militants did not resorts to use the heavy weapons as the last options. There was no report of explosion of mines despite having anti-personnel and anti-tank mines with the militants.
Journalists also raised queries about the alleged use of mosque's minarets as bunkers since there was no internal way to climb on them and the external sides were clear visible from each side and seems to be impossible to mount there and used as bunkers which the ISPR spokesman claimed.
Arshad also dispelled the impression of mass-grave of around 300 students, which was claimed by the late Rasheed Ghazi while talking to media from inside the complex during the second last day of his life.
According to the ISPR spokesman, 75 bodies had been recovered so far and 19 of them were unrecognisable and they could be anybody, any gender, any age. In addition, the military suffered 11 dead and 44 wounded, he said.
"A total of 85 people came out on the day the operation was carried out,". Males are 56, and females are 29 and 39 of those who surrendered were under the age of 18", Arshad added. He did not confirm any causality of women except the mother of Ghazi Rasheed, who he said yet to be identified and might be her body would among those who were unrecognisable.
Earlier reports had suggested that there were hundreds of women and children inside the compound at the time of the army assault. "I am sure and I hope this will end all kinds of speculative reporting and wrong reporting being done on various channels," ISPR Chief spokesman said.
Arshad said two suicide bombers had blown themselves up in the raid and two suicide jackets packed with explosives were found that had not been detonated. He showed journalists one burned-out room in the school where he said a suicide attacker had blown himself up as troops tried to get in.
The army found the bomber's head and five of the charred bodies inside the room, he said. Authorities say the 73 people who died were militants - their bodies now await collection and three were handed over to their relatives belonging to Bajour Agency.