*ISLAMABAD: Lal Majid notorious *Maulana Abdul Aziz appeared at the LalMasjid here today, more than three years after he was removed from themosque in the backdrop of Peshawar’s Army Public School (APS) massacre.

The district authorities had been foiling Aziz’s repeated bids to return tothe mosque over the past few years with full force, but on Friday thecleric reached the mosque unannounced and addressed the congregation.

The last time he led Friday prayers at the mosque was on December 24, 2014.He was then barred from leading Friday prayers at the mosque due to law andorder concerns as civil society members gathered outside the mosque toprotest against him and the terrorist attack on APS that killed over 150people, mostly school children in 2014.

Civil society members had also accused Aziz of hurling death threats tothem and on their complaint a case against the cleric was registered at theAabpara police station. The police, however, exonerated the cleric and acourt dismissed the case last year. He was also acquitted in several othercases.

Aziz was suspended as the Lal Masjid Khateeb by the authorities in 2004 andhis nephew Aamir Siddique appointed deputy khateeb of the mosque in 2007.Siddique has been the official prayer leader and imam of the mosque eversince.

After his acquittal in all cases, the Shuhada Foundation, which handleslegal affairs of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa, had moved the Supreme Courtfor restoration of Aziz as the Lal Masjid Khateeb, which reportedly isstill pending before the court. Maulana Aziz also on multiple occasionstried to get back and lead Friday prayers at the mosque but the authoritiesalways stood in his way.

On May 11, when Aziz announced to go to Lal Masjid for Friday prayers, thedistrict authorities held talks with him to convince him otherwise. Aspokesperson for Maulana Aziz said the authorities during the May 11negotiations had requested him not to attempt to go to Lal Masjid duringthe tenure of the PML-N government and also not to announce his plans tomedia and public whenever he intends to go to the mosque.

“Today, the PML-N government is gone and we also did not announce itbeforehand,” the spokesman said. He confirmed that Aziz was still placedunder observation as his name was included in 4th schedule of theAnti-Terrorism Act, but insisted that it did not bar him from leadingprayers and delivering sermons.