Lal Masjid cleric’s interview in burqa still a mystery
Maulana Abdul Aziz. — File photo/AP
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: Maulana Abdul Aziz removing his veil of his burqa on the state run PTV remains the defining image of the Lal Masjid crisis of 2007.
But nearly six years later, it is still not clear whose brainwave led to this spectacle. Both the federal secretary of information and the man managing PTV have little idea whose idea this was.
The Lal Masjid Commission grappled with the mystery on Friday in Islamabad.
A conflict between the Musharraf regime and the Lal Masjid administration provided a basis for the operation which started on July 3 and lasted till July 11, 2007.
The clampdown claimed lives of 103 persons, including 10 army personnel and one Ranger.
Maulana Aziz, the Khateeb of Lal Masjid, who was also the principal of Jamia Faridia was arrested by the law enforcement agencies on July 4, 2007 a day after the forces launched the operation.
Aziz who was ‘caught’ slipping out of the mosque in a burqa was presented on PTV on July 4, 2007.
The one man commission of Justice Shehzado Sheikh of Federal Shariat Court (FSC), however, remained firm that the issue was an important one as he felt that the orchestrated manoeuvre worsened an already tense situation.
The judge pointed out that the government had announced a general pardon and Rs5,000 cash reward for the embattled students of Lal Masjid who were willing to come out and surrender.
But once Aziz was ‘humiliated’ thus in the ‘drama on television, his infuriated followers stayed put and died in the subsequent operation.
Initially he was shown wearing burqa, the veil of which he then threw back from his face and the interview began.
Justice Sheikh began by asking MD PTV Mirza Yousaf Baig why he allowed the interview at that critical time.
Mr Baig surprised the judge as well as others when he said, “I never ordered the airing of the interview,” adding that “I had expressed my reservations to then secretary information and told him that the interview would have serious implications.”
However, Baig added that “the secretary information asked me to air the interview and I passed on the instructions to the chief coordinator of the television.”
He further revealed that he had no idea that Aziz would be interviewed while wearing the ‘burqa’, claiming that he found out about the ‘disguise’ once the interview had been recorded.
Mr Baig informed the court that the decision had been taken “elsewhere”.
However, when the commission turned to then secretary information Anwar Mehmood, his answers were not any more enlightening. He said, “I was asked to telecast the interview”.
Later when asked to explain what he meant, Mr Mehmood told Dawn, “After the arrest of Maulana Aziz, I received a call from an unknown number and the caller asked me to record and air the interview of the cleric.”
When asked whether he tried to verify the identity of ‘unknown caller’, he replied “no because I was not in a position to trace the caller.”
Recording his testimony before the commission, then federal minister for interior Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao also said that timing of the interview was terrible.
He, however, added that when the military started the operation, he was not in Pakistan, adding that the interior ministry had nothing to do with the operation though it tried to settle the issue peacefully.
He said that after the operation Maulana Aziz was not sent to Adiala Jail but was kept in house arrest along with his family members in a rest house near Simly Dam.
President Gen (retired) Pervez Musharraf and then prime minister Shaukat Aziz had been summoned to appear before the commission on Friday, but both of them remained absent.
What’s the big deal? .. Desperate times call for desperate measures!
Why is this fuss about the wearing of veil when the cleric was running away leaving all the student inside the mosque with all that arms a ammunition inside the mosque. Mosque is for prayers not for storing arms to fight against the government. Where is the common sense.
burqa is a versatile dress
This is a cryptic and poorly written article.
Lal masjid episode was used by some politicians who had personal grudge with Musharraf and wanted to get rid of him at any cost. Some tv anchors played vital but dirty role at the directions of those politicians. Any government of that time would take the same action against those elements hiding inside the mosque for creating chaos in Islamabad. There should be a complete enquiry about the actual plan and purpose of those people who were using shelter of the mosque and both the brothers Abdul Aziz and Rasheed Ghazi have been hostaged in the hands of those culprits.
“Initially he was shown wearing burqa, the veil of which he then threw back from his face and the interview began.”
An obvious transexual. Any excuse to wear women’s clothing.
If you see the interview you will notice that it was not a good disguise because his beard was clearly showing from under the burka.
The question is not important to investigate.
Mr Mehmood told Dawn, “After the arrest of Maulana Aziz, I received a call from an unknown number and the caller asked me to record and air the interview of the cleric.”…………………….so the secretary information takes orders and acts on calls from UNKNOWN callers without any authentication. Cool……time for promotion of this loyal servant.
This is a picture of a Muslim Cleric anf there are people in Pakistan supporting him are they Blind don’t they see a guy with the Gun behind him is this what you guys call Islam, sorry none of our great leaders our Probhet and the Khalifas would approve of this, all of you who support this so called Muslim Cleric should be ashamed is this what these guys are preaching in the mosques, today I would alike to break all my ties with Pakistan where there is noLaw and the so called independent Supreme court and the big Chief does not take any action
Why was this hooligan not given a red carpet welcome as he sneaked out of Lal Masjid in Burqa? After suffering so much terrorism at the hands of these Islamic goons, authorities in Pakistan still have a soft corner for them. Instead of focusing on rooting out terrorism, Pakistanis authorities are doing nothing about these mullahs and wasting nation’s precious resources and time.
The mullahs dragged women, kidnapped Chinese but when confronted tried to escape wearing burqa. So what they want from media? Should they be shown as lions when they were mice! The Justice is probably afraid of his skin as is everyone sane person from these terrorists.
The strange man in the photograph is being guarded by automatic weapons illegally smuggled into the country by terrorists. How can any one refer to him as “maulana”? What brand of Islam does he practice and preach? I fear Pakistan’s problems will not disappear until Pakistanis start dealing with these self appointed Maulanas.
Everybody in Pakistan is a self-appointed Maulana.
If we call this is a conflict between Musharraf regime and Laal Masjid, then should we call current wave of terrorist attacks also a conflict between the government and TTP. Lets not forget that the Lal Masjid leaders were not following the law of the land.
Maybe the honorable Maulana is a cross dresser!
Oh My God. If I am the federal secretary of information and receive a call from an “unknown number” that asks me to do something which I do without much thinking and without verification, it only means 3 possibilities:
1) The Secretary is used to these “unknown” calls of the “known” authorities, otherwise he would object or ignore
2) The Secretary does not have “any decision making power at all” so he is just a formality who has to comply to every order all the time
3) Both 1 and 2 together
My guess: Option 3.
Strange that they should go on a witch hunt to determine who had authorized the taping of Aziz in burqa, instead of appreciating the disclosure of shameless activities of a brave jihadi – one who tried to sneak away like a snake in woman’s clothes.
But he did try to flee in a Burqa, didn’t he???
The interview showed the ‘ideal’s’ real face, running away in women’s gown.
Very bad history of Pakistan. Its really a msytery.