Madrasa students release 9 hostages in Pak

Lal Masjid clerics claimed the government has assured them that it will shut down all “illegal” massage parlours. The hostages were released after hectic parleys involving top ruling party politicians, government officials and Chinese diplomats.

The students kept the hostages in the seminary for more than 15 hours during which Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui sought the help of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, (PML-Q) president Shujaat Hussain. The latter has, in the past acted. as a mediator between the radical clerics of the mosque and the Pakistan government.

Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, who led the police team in the talks, told reporters at the mosque that the seminary administration had handed over the hostages to them and they had left the facility. Ali said massage parlours, except those that impart training, would be shut down soon and that the mosque administrators have assured the authorities that their students will not carry out acts that lead to law and order problems.

Luo said it was the responsibility of the Pakistan government to provide security to Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

Ghazi invited the Chinese ambassador and his wife to visit Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa madrasa to show “how we are performing our duty for inter-faith harmony”. “If by our actions have hurt the feelings of our Chinese brethren, we express our regret,” he said.

The hostages were released keeping in mind the deep friendship between Pakistan and China, deputy of Jamia Hafsa Abdul Rashid Ghazi said. He claimed that they had ben receiving complaints about a prostitution racket at the parlour.

When asked why the students took the law into their hands, Ghazi said it was the duty of the police to take action against massage centres. “But they did not take any action as they have some compulsions.”