Islamabad-The situation remained calm around Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa here after successful negotiations between the seminary and city district administration on the issue of a protest rally to be carried out against blasphemous content on social media.
The Khateeb Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz had, a day earlier, announced a protest rally against the sacrilegious campaign on social media. Following the announcement, the city administration decided not to let the students out of the premises and deployed heavy contingents of law-enforcement agencies around the Masjid and female religious seminary.
The roads leading to the seminary and masjid were blocked by police and Rangers deployed on the spot. Aziz had also invited general public to participate in the rally. However, no body was allowed to move out of the premises before the city administration held successful negotiations with the high-ups of Lal Masjid.
Lal Masjid has had been in headlines in 2007 after a stand-off between the students barricaded inside the mosque and the government which later resulted in bloody gun battles, killing over 20 people, including students of the mosque and paramilitary personnel. Over 100 others were injured in the battle. Lal Masjid students had started attacking Chinese girls who were prostitutes and they were destroying CD shops which sold pornography.
Meanwhile, Shams Colony police on Friday arrested three persons and seized 32 maund (1280 kg) harmful meat being brought from Jhang for sale in Islamabad. Taking prompt action on a public complaint, District Food Controller, Raja Muhammad Ashraf along with police officials carried out raid in the area of Shams Colony. The police arrested three accused later identified as Waheed, Ayaz and Arshad and further investigation is underway after registration of the case against them. The vehicle carrying harmful meat from Jhang was also confiscated on the spot. During the preliminary investigation, the accused told that they wanted to sell harmful meat in the Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
