Radical Islamists at the Lal Masjid who led an uprising against the Pakistan Government were misinterpreting Islam for their own benefit said Pak Prez Musharraf.
ISLAMABAD: Radical Islamists at the Lal Masjid who led an uprising against the Pakistan Government which resulted in troops storming the mosque were misinterpreting Islam for their own benefit and were misleading the people by creating chaos in their minds, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said.
''This is not a matter of victory or defeat,''Gen Musharraf said yesterday, addressing the officers and troops that took part in Lal Masjid Operation, at the Convention Centre here.
''Pakistan is an Islamic country where we are leading our lives according to the true practices of Islam but there are a few who are exploiting the social evils in the name of Islam, which is a wrong practice,'' he added.
The President said that the government took every possible step to solve the matter in a peaceful manner by holding talks with the administration of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa but every such effort was disregarded by them and it became inevitable for the government to take action against the militants present in the premises.
He praised the troops who took part in the operation and appreciated the professionalism with which they conducted it and succeeded in saving the lives of innocent students of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa.
The President expressed his grief over the tragic loss of lives. ''Though it is a matter of sorrow for all of us but I appreciate the courage of the troops who took risk of their lives for evacuating the innocent students of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa, as it was the policy of the government that maximum number of lives be saved and that the loss of the lives be kept at minimum.''
The President said the officers and troops of the forces deserve high appreciation for their bravery and courage.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani, Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Minister for Religious Affairs Muhammad Ejaz ul Haq, Minister for Women Development Ms. Sumaira Malik, Vice Chief of Army Staff General Ahsan Saleem Hayat, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Senator Tariq Azim Khan, Minister of State for Interior Zafar Iqbal Warraich and troops of Pakistan Armed Forces, Pakistan Rangers, Police and all other concerned officials were present on the occasion.
Militants ambushed a convoy of police and paramilitary troops passing through Matta town of North West Frontier Province killing 11 soldiers today and raising the death toll to 38 in the past 24 hours.
The attacks appear to be revenge for last week's storming of the Lal Masjid in which 75 supporters of hardline clerics and nine soldiers were killed.
Two roadside bombs and two suicide bombers struck the convoy in the attack in the Swat district, the military said.
The attack came a day after a suicide bomber killed 24 Pakistani paramilitary soldiers and wounded nearly 30 in the North Waziristan tribal region on the Afghan border.
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