Veiled women try to enter seminary

By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Oct 28: About 40 women in burqas put the city police on tenterhooks when they descended in a group at the Jamia Fareedia seminary in the posh E-7 sector on Sunday.

Witnesses said women in black wanted to enter the seminary but the police contingent guarding the seminary, linked to the turbulent Lal Masjid, resisted their attempt.

Tempers frayed and police reinforcements were called in as the women insisted on entering the seminary for boys “to clean and prepare it for receiving Jamia Hafsa girls as directed by the Supreme Court”.

The police personnel immediately informed their highups when the situation started to deteriorate. Under the supervision of senior police officials of Islamabad police, a contingent of police armed with sophisticated weapons reached the spot and immediately cordon off the area.

Senior officials started negotiations with the group of women but remained unsuccessful and failed to send these women back.

Later senior police officials requested Umme Hassan, wife of Maulana Abdul Aziz, former Khateeb of Lal Masjid, to come to the seminary and convince the women to return back and avoid any unpleasant incident.

Ms Hassan, after arriving at Jamia Fareedia, held talks with the women and convinced them not to enter the seminary. After one-and-a-half hours the women returned back along with Ms Hassan.

Personnel of law enforcement agencies have been deployed at Jamia Fareedia since July 3. Educational activities were discontinued at the seminary soon after operation against Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafza was started.