Notorious Cleric of Lal Masjid Abdul Aziz challenges federal government writ yet again
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ISLAMABAD: *Notorious Cleric of Lal Masjid Abdul Aziz challenges federal government writ yet again.*
The standoff between the Islamabad administration and infamous Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz continues, with the latter being holed in the mosque for the past two weeks.
He is claiming to be the rightful prayer leader despite a ban on his entry in the premises.
The capital administration had issued a notification of his removal last year, but it failed to appoint a new prayer leader, which paved way for the cleric to enter the mosque when the administration was busy dealing with other issues.
As both sides refuse to relent, the Islamabad police have surrounded the mosque and are fully prepared to deal with any untoward situation. The police also barred unidentified people from entering the mosque, with an exception made on Friday.
“Aziz wants a plot for the construction of Jamia Hafsa,” a source said, adding that the Supreme Court had cancelled a 20-kanal plot that was allotted to him for the seminary in Sector H-11 in 2012.
According to a local media outlet that quoted a source in capital administration, the government cannot fulfill the demands, as cleric Aziz “wants to become the khateeb of the mosque again. He also wants Rs250 million along with a large piece of land to establish Jamia Hafsa and the possession of the adjacent old children’s library plot”.
Hafiz Ehtesham, an old confidant of Maulana Aziz, said that the cleric entered the mosque two weeks ago despite warnings that his presence would make things difficult.
