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Intelligence agencies oppose Lal Masjid crackdown

ISLAMABAD: Ministers and intelligence bosses voiced opposition to a crackdown on students of Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Fareedia and the Lal Masjid administration for political and security reasons, at a meeting on Monday, Daily Times has learnt.

Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao told the meeting, chaired by President Gen Pervez Musharraf at Army House, that the government could not afford the use of force against madrassa students since general elections were near.

The intelligence bosses maintained that a crackdown would create a law and order situation in Islamabad and would strengthen extremists in the country.

Javed Iqbal Cheema, director general of the National Crisis Management Cell, also opposed the use of force, “because we are already confronting difficult situations in Waziristan and Balochistan,” according to the sources.

Sources said that almost all meeting participants - which included Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Law Minister Wasi Zafar and Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani - opposed a crackdown on madrassa students.

Sources said that the president had approved a strategy for a crackdown in case negotiations failed. naveed siddiqui

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