A huge contingent of police personnel has been deployed outside the Lal Masjid on Friday to deal with any untoward situation after another call of protest by members of civil society. Later, protesters announced that they be rallying at Melody Chowk instead.
Meanwhile, speaking at a rally held in solidarity with victims of the Peshawar attack, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain also demanded arrest of Maulana Abdul Aziz, the Lal Masjid's chief cleric, besides demanding to shut down Jamia Hafsa.
The demonstrators have now reached Aabpara Police Station to register a FIR against Lal Masjid administration.
Sources told that seven civil society members, including a woman, were arrested by police today.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Asmatullah Junejo summoned the entire district police in response to an announcement by civil society activists that protests would be held outside the mosque after Friday prayers.
Police have beefed up security outside the Lal Masjid and have set up barricades on both sides of the roads leading to the seminary.
Earlier on Thursday, a large number of civil society activists, politicians and students arrived at the mosque, chanting slogans against the chief cleric and lighting candles as part of a vigil.
The candlelight vigil and protest was organised in response to a statement by the mosque’s chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz in which he refused to condemn the massacre of students and teachers in a terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar.
Islamabad police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against participants of the protest on the complaint of the mosque management.
