It was June 24, 2007, a Sunday. 20 men and 10 men in veils entered an upscale neighbourhood in Islamabad. They had sticks in their hands. It was in the capital city’s F-8 district. The men and women brandishing sticks were Lal Masjid students. They were sent on a mission to attack a Chinese massage parlour. The three local guards present were disarmed as they got to the gate. They then went into the structure. There were 2 Pakistani guys and 7 Chinese ladies present. They were told to go along by the women. When they objected, however, the young men with sticks tortured them and dragged them against their will to Lal Masjid.
The media was then briefed by a Lal Masjid representative. He said that a brothel was operating out of the massage parlour. He claimed that despite repeated demands, the regional authorities did nothing. As a result, the Lal Masjid administration took independent action. The Lal Masjid authorities’ worst error was attacking the Chinese massage parlour. How? Which burqa-clad religious scholars sought to flee? Who urged Ghazi Abdul Rashid not to give up when the army approached?
What happened during the Lal Masjid operation, and how did it turn out? You are watching DSJ’s History of Pakistan series, and I’m Faisal Warraich. All of this is shown in this episode. The Lal Masjid’s amr bil maroof nahi anil munkar squad attacked the Chinese massage parlour. The squad was a component of Maulana’s Sharia implementation strategy. The group had also abducted four police officers from a brothel a few weeks earlier. But those 4 police officials were all natives of Pakistan. They presented no issues. Attacking the Chinese, though, was a more significant issue.
The administrators of the Lal Masjid made a serious error. In Beijing, China, preparations for the 2008 Olympics were underway at the time. The Olympics were viewed as a significant event in modern Chinese history. The Chinese were not willing to put up with any chaos, disturbance, or terrorism. However, they dreaded unrest during the Olympics. Later, the Chinese authorities admitted that the Olympics were unquestionably in danger. The main danger came from a Uyghur Muslim group with ties to al-Qaeda.
During the Olympics, these worries came to pass. Bomb explosions in western China resulted in the deaths of 8 Chinese security officers. China attempted to conceal the news, but it was nevertheless leaked to the media. Video threats were also made by the Uyghur Muslim Turkestan Islamic Party. Chinese specialists knew that Al-Qaeda in China had the ideal opportunity to spread its message during the Olympics. Al-Qaeda may take any action at the time. To deal with the threat, the Chinese government implemented a “absolutely no mercy” strategy. Leaked documents from the Chinese government have further supported this approach.
Because Pakistan shares a border with Xinjiang, Chinese authorities got in touch with Pakistan. The majority of Uyghur combatants were based in Xinjiang. Pakistan’s enthusiastic participation in the Olympics was also being supported by China. Now, cooperation was in the best interests of both nations. The 2005 India-U.S. nuclear agreement was another problem. Pakistan agreed to an agreement with China in response to this. According to the agreement, China was to modernise Pakistan’s Chashma nuclear reactor. When the 7 Chinese were kidnapped in Islamabad, work on the Chashma plant was already under progress. The problem became a major one in China. It soon gained a lot of attention in the media. People who were outraged sent a package of calcium supplements to the Chinese Communist Party’s international office.
This sent a very obvious message to the Chinese leadership. The gesture served as a reminder that the government was frail and in need of calcium supplements. Liu Hui, the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, handled this situation delicately. He worked close to Lal Masjid. He accepted the challenge with lightning speed. He spoke with Shaukat Aziz, the prime minister at the time, and asked Maulana Fazlur Rehman for assistance. However, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was the one who assisted him. The same massage parlour purportedly served Chaudhry Shujaat as a client. The direct conversation between Abdul Rashid Ghazi and the Chinese envoy was arranged by Chaudhry Shujaat.
The Chinese women would soon be released, according to Abdul Rashid Ghazi. The ambassador was allowed to speak with the Chinese women. However, their release was put off. Finally, the President and the Prime Minister took action to set them free. Five more hours later, they were let go. The Chinese President continued to communicate with President Musharraf until the very end. After releasing the Chinese women, Lal Masjid administration released a written statement to the media. This demonstrated that the text had been accepted by a board or shura in Lal Masjid.
It stated that the government would shut down massage parlours and that the Chinese were released due to friendship between Pakistan and China. According to the Lal Masjid administration, women were massaging men in those facilities, which was forbidden by Islam. The Chinese women were delivered to the Chinese embassy in black burqas after the news briefing. The situation did not stop after the Chinese women were released. The Chinese Public Security Minister and the Pakistani Interior Minister met in Beijing on the same day. The Beijing Olympics were discussed at the summit.
During the discussion, the Chinese Minister made a number of stern demands. The demands were not made public by the interior minister of Pakistan. On June 27, the Chinese minister did, however, make some critical comments. He expressed the hope that Pakistan would punish the terrorists harshly. He promised to punish the Chinese nationals’ torturers in Pakistan. The story continued after that. To deliver the same message, the Chinese President called President Musharraf. In order to request action, senior Chinese military authorities also called General Musharraf.
The Chinese government now accuses Pakistan of supporting terrorists who are hostile to China. The Chinese thought that Uyghur fighters were responsible for the assault on the Chinese massage parlour. These warriors were sought after in China on terrorism-related allegations. Then General Musharraf made a choice. He might have made the choice himself or in response to Chinese coercion. But General Musharraf brought up this in his speech when he declared a state of emergency. He argued that it was shameful to kidnap Chinese nationals. According to him, he had to personally apologise to the Chinese authorities on the matter.
Whatever the cause, on July 3, 2007, General Musharraf gave the order for security to surround Lal Masjid. Lal Masjid and its neighbouring Jamia Hafsa were under siege by rangers and police. Three thousand to five thousand students, as well as some foreign warriors, accompanied Maulana Abdul Aziz. They set a camp on the masjid and madrassa roofs. They had Kalashnikovs as weapons. In the event of action, they threatened to take revenge. The Ghazi brothers were contacted by the authorities, who also promised not to take any further action. It promised the release of all innocent pupils. Their madrassas would not be taken over, according to the authorities.
These madrassas would be taken over by an ulema board. Also delivering these teachings was Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. According to Chaudhry Shujaat, the organisers of the Lal Masjid accepted the government proposal. However, they refused to turn over their foreign allies. They demanded a secure route for their foreign combatants. However, the government objected. They were wanted by the government for arrest. In the meantime, a sizable group of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa students’ parents gathered outside. They desired to bring their kids along. In order to allow the students to go, the administration postponed the operation.
These madrassas would be taken over by an ulema board. Also delivering these teachings was Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. According to Chaudhry Shujaat, the organisers of the Lal Masjid accepted the government proposal. However, they refused to turn over their foreign allies. They demanded a secure route for their foreign combatants. However, the government objected. They were wanted by the government for arrest. In the meantime, a sizable group of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa students’ parents gathered outside. They desired to bring their kids along. In order to allow the students to go, the administration postponed the operation.
However, groups of young students brandished sticks at the security personnel. They took the police officers’ weapons. A girls’ school, the department of the environment, and a government building were also targeted by petrol bombs. The Lal Masjid’s speakers were playing jihadi music. The students’ spirits were lifted by these songs. and inspired them to pursue martyrdom and jihad. Additionally, a suicide bombing occurred in the office of the environment department. In the assault, seven officers perished. Islamabad was filled with gunshots and explosions all night long.
Around 20 persons were reported dead in the morning newspapers due to the rioting. Over 400 persons suffered injuries. Lal Masjid students, two Rangers employees, a journalist, and a businessman were among the victims. To deal with the urgent situation, the army has now sent out commandos. These commandos were SSG. The authorities nonetheless provided the students enough time to evacuate the area. so that they may be freed after being investigated and having records kept. It stated repeatedly that people who turned themselves in would not face charges.
Numerous injured people and bodies were also removed as hundreds of students exited the building once more. The mosque and the madrassa’s water and electrical supplies were also turned off during this time. Its goal was to remove everyone who was not engaged in battle from the mosque. A close acquaintance of the Ghazi brothers named Fazlur Rehman Khalil was summoned for negotiations. His organisation, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, was outlawed. He told the Ghazi brothers that they had damaged the reputation of their nation. The army now needed to act. He clarified that the brothers from Ghazi had no choice but to submit.
He asserted that Islam permits disguised fleeing. He claimed that he carried out all of this as part of Jihad and that he was not embarrassed of his deeds. His wife was preventing the female pupils from leaving Lal Masjid, he acknowledged. She was attempting to persuade them to stay. She proclaimed to the pupils that the moment had come for Jihad and sacrifice. Al-Qaeda and the militants in Lal Masjid suffered significant morale damage as a result of Abdul Aziz’s capture. Another embarrassment came when he appeared on PTV while wearing a burqa. Ghazi Abdul Rashid led the combatants and students into the mosque following his capture. Scholars from all throughout the nation kept requesting that he give up.
In the event that he gave up, they pledged to save him. But on this particular occasion, Maulana Abdul Rashid received a call from Qari Tahir, the IMU’s commander from Waziristan. He told Ghazi Abdul Rashid to keep fighting till the very last round. According to him, giving up now would be deadly for their Sharia cause. Abdul Rashid Ghazi adopted his suggestions. The second night saw a repeat of the operation. 27 additional students passed away. However, Ghazi Abdul Rashid and foreign fighters were not among the dozens of more students who gave themselves up.
Parents of the youngsters were anxiously waiting outside. Some of them alleged that their kids were imprisoned inside the mosque against their will. Twenty parents were sent inside by security personnel, but their kids were not permitted to leave. On the third day, the procedure went on as usual. In a basement, Ghazi Abdul Rashid was imprisoned. He nevertheless kept in touch over the phone with the media and several residents of Waziristan. Militants continued to fire from their positions inside Lal Masjid. Lt. Col. Haroon-ul-Islam, the SSG commander, was fatally shot. He passed away.
The procedure has dire repercussions. The militants believed Chinese coercion was a factor in the operation against Lal Masjid. Probably for this reason, on the fifth day of the operation, 4 Chinese engineers were murdered in Peshawar. The sixth day saw Chaudhry Shujaat make one final pitch to Ghazi Abdul Rashid. The subject of a surrender and safe escape came up. Ghazi Abdul Rashid nevertheless wished for a safe departure for his foreign allies. Obviously, the government turned down this request. The foreigners were wanted for arrest by the authorities. However, according to Maulana Abdul Rashid, a safe passage was decided upon.
He claims that the safe passage arrangement was the only thing that differed. However, it is clear from Maulana’s remark that the foreign fighters were not given safe passage. It’s probable that this was the distinction Maulana was referring to. However, the operation went on as usual. Abdul Sattar Edhi, a social worker, and Mufti Rafi Usmani, a cleric, also arrived outside Lal Masjid at the same time. Despite their pleas for calm, the fighting persisted. The commandos entered the mosque and the madrassa on the seventh night of Operation Silence. At the last basement’s entrance, where Maulana Abdul Rashid was hiding, they were.
He continued to communicate by phone with the media and his pals in Waziristan. Even then, he was not yet prepared to give up. As a result, shots were fired. There were a few suicide bombings and some audible explosions. By daybreak, 8 Pakistani soldiers and 70 insurgents had perished. But afterwards, 110 fatalities were confirmed. Among the deceased was Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi. Afghan fighters and 15 other foreigners were also among the dead. Chinese Uyghur warriors made up 12 of these foreigners. After the operation, the officials scheduled a tour of the mosque for the media. Massive stocks of rockets, grenades, Kalashnikovs, thousands of rounds, and masks were seen to the journalists.
Additionally, they saw petrol bombs there. The madrassa and mosque’s walls bore the marks of bullets. In the building, there were indications of suicide assaults. Another charge against the government was the use of phosphorous bombs. An article on the operation was written by journalist Ansar Abbasi. No hostages or mines were reportedly discovered within the mosque. The Lal Masjid operation also dashed Abdul Aziz and Al-hopes. Qaeda’s It wasn’t the madrassa students around the nation who instigated the uprising. Also remaining impartial were the 18 madrassas in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The entire campaign of Sheikh Issa and Maulana Abdul Aziz was built around this idea.
But Al-Qaeda now had to make a war declaration on its own. Targeting Pakistani security forces is what Osama bin Laden urged his terrorists to do. In this war, children were sometimes employed as suicide bombers. Pakistan quickly turned into a terrible location to reside. Pakistan even outperformed Palestine and Iraq in terms of the number of suicide attacks. Before Operation Silence, there had only been 42 suicide bombings in Pakistan. But in just 2007, there were 47 suicide strikes following the Lal Masjid operation. In a few months, 1,188 persons were killed. Over 3,000 people suffered injuries. Even the unit of the SSG commandos that had taken part in the operation was not secure. In September 2007, a suicide bomber detonated himself inside the military canteen.
In the raid, about 20 commandos perished and numerous others were hurt. The catastrophe at Lal Masjid was a significant incident that boosted extremism in Pakistan. The TTP enforced its own interpretation of Sharia and took control of parts of the tribal regions and KPK province of Pakistan. They ruled the Buner district of the Malakand division until 2009. They moved closer to Islamabad’s capital than 60 miles. A Taliban takeover of Pakistan was reported by the international media. Pak-China relations were also harmed by the catastrophe at Lal Masjid.
Even the Karakoram Highway, a testament to the goodwill between Pakistan and China, was in danger. The Pakistani army sent out a sizable unit to guard the road. This agreement was negotiated in order to maintain the Pakistan-China commerce route. The powerful government of General Musharaf was severely damaged by this tragedy. When the Lal Masjid was under attack… The largest civil rights movement in Pakistani history was taking place. This was the campaign for the Judges’ reinstatement. General Musharraf and two other generals were present when this movement began with a rejection inside of a closed-door setting.
What story was that? What did Benazir and Nawaz Sharif historically agree to in London? What part did America play in Pakistan’s new government’s creation and the selection of the new army chief? All of this will be demonstrated in the upcoming episode. Pakistan’s history is still ongoing. Only on DSJ can you get the top Urdu documentaries on Pakistan with references. Please share and like these videos. The 1990s were a time of great political unrest in Pakistani history. Here, you can see a thorough account of that time period. Here is the Kargil narrative. See how Sultan Muhammad Fateh overthrew the Byzantine Empire here.Contact Us