MOSABJA
Junior Member
Nine killed in gunbattles near Lal Masjid
Islamabad, July 3 (PTI): Nine people were killed and a few hundreds injured in gunbattles that erupted between security forces and militant madrassa students in the heart of Islamabad today in a flare-up triggered by security deployment around the famous Lal Masjid.
Unconfirmed reports, however, put the toll at 11 people in the violence which started at around 1.30 p.m, and continued till late in the evening between the students and the forces which were deployed around the mosque last Friday.
Pakistan Information Minister, Mohammad Ali Durrani, confirmed the death of nine people but ruled out storming of the mosque tonight which has been locked in a stand-off with the government for the last six months over the clerics' campaign to impose STRICT ISLAMIC SHARIAH in the capital.
"Any such action could be taken only after a complete political consensus," he said, while ruling out imposition of emergency in the wake of today's violence.
Among those killed was a Pakistani ranger and a TV cameraman, while several journalists, including Bureau Chief of 'Geo TV', Afsar Alam, were injured.
Islamabad, July 3 (PTI): Nine people were killed and a few hundreds injured in gunbattles that erupted between security forces and militant madrassa students in the heart of Islamabad today in a flare-up triggered by security deployment around the famous Lal Masjid.
Unconfirmed reports, however, put the toll at 11 people in the violence which started at around 1.30 p.m, and continued till late in the evening between the students and the forces which were deployed around the mosque last Friday.
Pakistan Information Minister, Mohammad Ali Durrani, confirmed the death of nine people but ruled out storming of the mosque tonight which has been locked in a stand-off with the government for the last six months over the clerics' campaign to impose STRICT ISLAMIC SHARIAH in the capital.
"Any such action could be taken only after a complete political consensus," he said, while ruling out imposition of emergency in the wake of today's violence.
Among those killed was a Pakistani ranger and a TV cameraman, while several journalists, including Bureau Chief of 'Geo TV', Afsar Alam, were injured.