London – 3rd July 2007
MQM Founder & Leader Mr Altaf Hussain has expressed his grief and sorrow over the loss of lives of security personnel, journalists, cameramen and others as a result of firing in Islamabad between armed men of Lal Masjid and law enforcement personnel today and has hold the Lal Masjid administration responsible who adopted the path of terrorism and armed activities. In his statement Mr Hussain said that the learned religious scholars of the country, muftis, mashaaiqs and even the Imam of Holy Kaaba Sharif appealed to the Administration of Lal Masjid to refrain from terrorism and armed activities and not take the law in their own hands but it is sad that the Lal Masjid Administration paid no attention to these appeals and targeted the citizens and foreigners of their armed activities resulting in damaging Pakistan’s image nationally and internationally.
Mr Hussain said that the Lal Masjid Administration is responsible for today’s bloody incident in Islamabad where the armed persons first snatched arms from the police personnel and opened firing on police and rangers resulting in killing one ranger personnel and several other got injured commencing the armed clash –thereafter, security personnel, journalists, cameramen and others were killed and injured. Mr Hussain said at a time when the people of Pakistan are saddened because of the devastation and loss of lives and property caused by the floods and rainstorms, today’s incident in Islamabad has increased the sadness, sorrow and grief.
Mr Hussain said that for the past six months the unlawful activities in Islamabad have reached its peak. The Government displayed remarkable patience but the manner in which the Lal Masjid Administration resorted to unconstitutional and unlawful armed activities and aggression and presented a distorted image of Islam to the world in the name of Islam, therefore, now whatever constitutional and lawful strategy the Government has planned against the unlawful and unconstitutional activities of the Lal Masjid Administration, the entire patriotic Pakistanis will support the Government.
Mr Hussain expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family members of those who lost their lives and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.