ISLAMABAD: The police on Wednesday cordoned off Jamia Hafsa to prevent former Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz from leaving the seminary.

Capital administration and police officials told Dawn that Mr Aziz recently announced that he would return to Lal Masjid because the capital administration had violated an agreement he made with them.

In response, a police contingent consisting of 150 officials, including Counter Terrorism Department, Anti-Terrorism Force and Anti-Riot Unit personnel, were deployed around the G-7 seminary to prevent him from leaving.

Mr Aziz and his family moved to Jamia Hafsa from Lal Masjid in June after reaching an agreement with the administration under which he was banned from entering the mosque for two months.

On July 7, Mr Aziz, his family and Jamia Hafsa students moved into Jamia Fareedia, a seminary in E-7, causing tensions with the current seminary administration. He returned to Jamia Hafsa after two days following the intervention of ulema who assured him the matter that brought him to the seminary would be resolved.

In a message, Mr Aziz threatened to break the agreement with the capital administration, the officials said, after the disappearance of his close aide Maulana Idrees from outside Jamia Fareedia. The officials said Mr Aziz’ wife and students from Jamia Hafsa visited the seminary after Mr Idrees’ disappearance, resulting in a physical confrontation between the students of both seminaries.

In response to the message, police were deployed around Lal Masjid to prevent Mr Aziz from entering the mosque. He later said he would go to the mosque on Wednesday, at which point police also deployed around Jamia Hafsa to stop him there.

They said he exited Jamia Hafsa with guards and few others, but then went back inside after a brief chat with the police officials stationed there.

Mr Aziz’ nephew Haroon Rasheed told Dawn that Mr Aziz made his announcement because the administration violated the agreement by cordoning off Lal Masjid.

He said he delayed is plans to go to the mosque after administration officials and ulema asked him for time to resolve the issue.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2020