2007 operation: Witnesses blame Musharraf for Lal Masjid killing

Say matters were settled through talks, but military attacked.

ISLAMABAD: Witnesses recorded their statements with the police team investigating Lal Masjid murder case on Sunday, and alleged that Musharraf was responsible for all the killings inside the mosque during the 2007 operation.

Despite the fact that all matters had been settled through talks between government’s delegation and the Lal Masjid inmates led by Abdur Rashid Ghazi, the military went ahead with the operation, the witnesses said in their respective statements.

The talks were a ‘drama’ and the military operation was ‘pre-planned’ as then president and military chief Pervez Musharraf never wanted a peaceful solution, they emphasised.

However, none of the witnesses confirmed about being physically present inside the mosque at any time during the seven days the military operation lasted. They quoted from their conversations with their respective relatives from inside the mosque compound.

“The talks were staged only to show the world that Musharraf had exhausted all other options. In fact, he never wanted the talks to succeed,” said Binte Abdullah in her statement. She is the younger sister of Lal Masjid’s slain deputy cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi.

As evidence of Musharraf’s intentions of ‘killing Ghazi and other inmates,’ Binte Abdullah told the investigation team that even Imam-e-Kaaba was not allowed to meet her brother who was trapped inside the mosque compound. “Instead, the government went on to falsely publicise through media that Ghazi had even turned down the Imam-e-Kaaba’s request to surrender.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2013.