ISLAMABAD: Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz on Friday was barred byIslamabad’s administration from leading the Friday prayers and deliveringthe weekly sermon, reported a local medialink> outlet.
The last round of talks concluded just before Friday prayers started.
Earlier, Lal Masjid’s Shuhada Foundation had announced that Aziz would leadthe Friday prayers and deliver the sermon on May 11.
An official from the capital’s administration said, ““His plan was that hewould go to the mosque in the form of a procession along with a fewvehicles loaded with female students but we did not yield to any pressureand we told him that even the new Jamia Hafsa has been built illegally overa natural stream so why not clear it first as a dutiful citizen.”
The prayers were led by deputy cleric Amir Siddique.
Earlier, the local administration had placed a ban on all religious andpolitical activities by Lal Masjid’s Shuhada Foundation and declared it asan “unregistered entity”.