Fatwa on Pak Min for hugging French paragliders

Islamabad, Apr 9: Lal Masjid officials have issued a fatwa against Pakistan Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar for hugging and posing with French paragliders in Paris.

The 10-member court has demanded the government to take action against Ms Bakhtiar and sack her from the cabinet for posing with paragliders in an obscene manner, Ghazi Abdul Rashid, deputy leader of the mosque and vice principal of the affiliated Jamia Hafza seminary, told reporters in Islamabad today.

Pro-Taliban chief prayer leader of the mosque Maulana Abdul Aziz had set up the court last Friday and warned the government to send suicide attackers for any operation against the mosque.

Ms Bakhtiar said the decree was issued without verification of facts by a so-called court. '' I went to France to raise funds for Pakistan quake-affected children and performed the para jump for a noble cause, '' she added.

Meanwhile, parents of a number of girls studying in Jamia Hafsa have warned officials of the Lal Masjid to withdraw their decision of enforcing Sharia through violence and said they would not let their daughters become part of the ongoing adventure of the institution, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Students of Jamia-Hafza began raiding DVD/Video shops in nearby markets early last week with a warning to the owners to stop the un-Islamic business of selling and buying Indian movies, songs, Pakistan stage shows and pornographic films.

Female students of the seminary had also kidnapped an alleged female manager of a local brothel last week and released her only after she sought forgiveness for her sins.

UNI