Security forces prepare for final offensive against Lal Masjid

Islamabad, July 5 (UNI) Indicating the final, massive operation to clear the Lal Masjid was due to begin, security forces were taking positions around the controversial mosque, as helicopter gunships hovered overhead and loudspeaker announcements asked the remaining people to surrender.

Additional security forces, including the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers, were taking up position around the mosque and seminary, situated in the heart of the capital, where an exchange of fire on Tuesday between radical students holed up inside and securitymen had led to at least 16 deaths, mostly students but including journalists and passersby.

All the approach roads were blocked by the security forces while three Cobra helicopter gunships hovered over the area, and the mosque compound, which still has an estimated 1000 radicals inside, including the deputy Imam Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi.

Small groups of students were still trickling out of the mosque as authorities kept on the pressure, firing a set of warning blasts since last night and giving repeated calls for surrender.

Meanwhile, Imam Maulana Abdul Aziz, who attempted to escape, clad in a 'burqa' amid a crowd of similarly veiled female students last night but was apprehended, was today remanded to police custody.

Aziz, who had threatened ''suicide attacks'' if authorities used force against the mosque, was produced today in an Anti-Terrorism Court, whose Judge Sakhi Mohammad Kahut, remanded him to seven days police custody. Aziz faces seven cases, including the kidnapping of seven Chinese engineers, four policemen and other alleged acts of terrorism.

His brother and naib Imam of the mosque, Maulana Abdul Rashid, said in a TV interview today that he had spoken to Pakistan Muslim League (PML) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to convey his stand that the whole issue could be resolved in a few hours time and without any bloodshed, and he was still willing to seek a ''honourable solution'' to the six-month plus standoff.

He reiterated that the people in the mosque had not initiated the firing, and held security forces responsible for it.

Interior Ministry spokesman Brig Javed Iqbal Cheema confirmed that 1200 male and female students had left the mosque compound till late last night but no weapons had been recovered from them.

He denied any dialogue was being being held with those still inside the mosque to resolve the situation.

Other security personnel, including Rangers' Colonel Masha Allah said over 50 students had come out till afternoon today, prompting fears that the remainuing defenders were keeping behind several young people as a ''human shield.'' ''Definitely, there are children inside. Some of those who came out of the madrasa told us that they had been locked in a room,'' he said.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Tariq Azeem told the private Geo News network today that Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi was trying to negotiate a surrender, but asserted that the authorities wanted him to give up unconditionally.

He noted the radical cleric had a criminal record and faced several cases.

''We are contacted by a number of religious leaders who sought a 'graceful exit' for him, but we told them that we would only accept an unconditional surrender,'' he said.

The standoff between the radical leaders in the mosque and the government had been going on since the beginning of the year, with the students carrying out a series of provocative acts over the past six months, demanding the enforcement of strict Islamic law and undertaking an ''anti-vice'' campaign, targetting shops selling video cassettes and music CDs.

They had come into the limelight after abducting seven Chinese nationals recently, in an attack on a ''den of prostitution.'' UNI