'Jaish suicide bombers inside Lal Masjid, action at right time'

Islamabad, Jun 30 (UNI) Admitting fear of bloodshed was preventing ''action'' against the radical clerics of Lal Masjid, Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf said that suicide bombers from al-Qaeda-linked Jaish-e-Mohammad were present inside the mosque.

''We tried to resolve the Lal Masjid standoff through negotiations to avoid bloodshed... I am not a coward but the issue is tomorrow you will say what have you done. There are women and children inside,'' he said, but hinted that the government had a plan ready, which would be implemented ''at the right time.'' President Musharraf said they had knowledge that members of banned militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, capable of undertaking suicide attacks, were also hiding in the mosque.

He admitted they were ''afraid of the baton-wielding madrassas who will stand by Lal Masjid if we launch action,'' adding that the female students of the Lal Masjid's adjoining madrassa were ''prepared for suicide attacks'' and up to 500 children ''were being used as human shields'' to stop the government from contemplating any operation.

''How can I take action? Action is ready but will be taken at a right time,'' he said in his address at the concluding ceremony of the National Media Workshop, organised by the National Defence University, here last evening, reports today said.

''Can you guarantee that blood of any dead or injured will not be screened on television channels during the operation,'' the President asked, asserting that the action against the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa brigade was ''not withheld because of government's weakness or cowardice in the face of enemy.'' He noted that while police are not capable of launching such a complex operation, the army cannot be involved for it can give a ''wrong message to the world.'' ''We have involved senior clerics of the country, the Council of Islamic Ideology and the Imam-i-Kaaba to end the standoff.

Shall we now call Allah to help these elements shun their wrongdoings?'' he asked.

The radical mosque and its Taliban-styled ''vice and virtue'' squads hit headlines in March this year after the burqa-clad female students of Jamia Hafsa abducted lady manager of a local brothel while baton-wielding male students of the mosque stormed local markets and asked video/DVD centres to shut their ''un-Islamic'' business.

Students of the mosque had kidnapped seven Chinese nationals including women last Friday for running an alleged brothel in Islamabad. However, they were released after few hours after the Chinese embassy in Islamabad took up the matter with Pakistani officials and pressed them for an early release of its nationals.

President Musharraf said the government had evidence that foreign militants were planning attacks abroad from Pakistani soil, and warned that any terrorist attack in the West would have 'incalculable consequences'' for the country.

He announced that he would address the nation next week and inform the people about some important national issues and the steps his government was planning to take to halt the spread of extremist tendencies in the NWFP. He said he would appear on the national television every fortnight to explain his viewpoint subject by subject.

Rejecting the opposition' claim that fair and free elections were not possible under him, he asserted that this was not going to deter him from holding elections even if this element was not ready to contest the polls under his dispensation.

About his holding dual posts, he said that the issue certainly needs to be addressed.... ''but leave this decision to me.'' Asked if he wanted to remain in power on a permanent basis, he noted that no one is permanent nor would remain forever, ''but as long as I am at the helm, I will continue to express whatever I see is good for the nation.'' UNI