{{Short description|2007 armed confrontation in Pakistan}} {{Use British English|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Siege of Lal Masjid | partof = the War in North-West Pakistan and the war on terror | image = Location of Lal Masjid in Islamabad.jpeg | caption = Location of Lal Masjid in Islamabad, Pakistan | place = Lal Masjid, Islamabad, Pakistan | date = 3–11 July 2007<br>({{Age in months, weeks and days|month1=07|day1=03|year1=2007|month2=07|day2=11|year2=2007|}}) | result = Pakistani Government victory<ref>{{cite news |url = http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=9019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090224002917/http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=9019 |url-status = dead |archive-date = 24 February 2009 |title = Assault neither victory nor defeat |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 15 July 2007 |publisher = The News }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url = http://news.aaj.tv/news.php?pg=3&show=detail&nid=72655| title = Lal Masjid operation not a matter of victory or defeat: Musharraf| access-date = 10 May 2008| date = 14 July 2007| publisher = AAJ News| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090318170306/http://news.aaj.tv/news.php?pg=3&show=detail&nid=72655| archive-date = 18 March 2009| url-status = dead| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="sundaytimes.lk">{{Cite web |title=Musharraf's Operation Silence and its echo |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/070715/International/i509.html |access-date=2014-02-28 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}}</ref> | combatant1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Pakistan.svg}} Pakistan | combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} Islamist militia{{efn|They referred to themselves as ({{langx|ur|{{Script/Nastaliq|طلباء و طالبات تحریک برائے نفاذ شریعت}}||Students Movement for the implementation of Sharia}})}} | commander1 = {{plainlist| * {{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_President_of_Pakistan.svg}} Pervez Musharraf * {{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_Prime_Minister_of_Pakistan.svg}} Shaukat Aziz *{{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_Chairman_Joint_Chiefs_of_Staff_Committee.svg}} Ehsan ul Haq * {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Pakistan's_X_Corps.png}} Tariq Majid{{efn|Planned and executed the operation under the direct orders of President Pervez Musharraf, overseeing the majority of the siege.}} * {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Pakistan's_XI_Corps.gif}} Masood Aslam * {{flagdeco|Pakistan|army}} Waheed Arshad<ref>{{cite news |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6290280.stm |title = Red Mosque offensive 'nears end' |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 11 July 2007 |publisher = BBC News }}</ref> * {{flagdeco|Pakistan|army}} Asim Bajwa * {{flagdeco|Pakistan|army}} Haroon Islam{{KIA}} * {{coat of arms|Pakistan|text=Aftab Sherpao}} * {{coat of arms|Pakistan|text=Ijaz-ul-Haq}} * {{coat of arms|Pakistan|text=Ali Durrani}} }} | commander2 = {{Plainlist| * {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} Abdul Aziz{{POW}}{{efn|The primary leader and instigator of the conflict, but was arrested early in the conflict and later released.}}<ref>{{cite news |date=July 5, 2007 |title=Radical Pakistan mosque chief caught |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19577341 |newspaper=NBC News}}</ref> * {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} Abdul Rashid{{Assassinated}}{{efn|He was killed during the siege. The Supreme Court of Pakistan later ruled his death an extrajudicial assassination, issuing arrest warrants for Pervez Musharraf and other high-ranking officials for their roles in his killing.}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=AFP |date=2013-04-21 |title=Lal Masjid Commission blames Musharraf, Aziz for operation |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/86256-lal-masjid-commission-blames-musharraf-aziz-for-operation |access-date=2013-04-21 |website=www.geo.tv |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":20">{{cite news |date=2 September 2013 |title=Pakistani police investigate Musharraf in mosque raid |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2013/09/02/pakistani-police-investigate-musharraf-mosque-raid/mclTe25pC43rwpR4SIKj7O/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217183804/http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2013/09/02/pakistani-police-investigate-musharraf-mosque-raid/mclTe25pC43rwpR4SIKj7O/story.html |archive-date=17 December 2014 |newspaper=The Boston Globe}}</ref> * {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} Umme Hassan{{POW}}{{efn|The leader of the female vigilantes referred to as the “burqa brigade”.}}<ref name="How Umme Hassan was captured">{{Cite web |date=2007-07-11 |title=How Umme Hassan was captured |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/255804/how-umme-hassan-was-captured |access-date=2007-07-11 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref> * {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} Khalid Khawaja{{POW}}{{efn|The military arrested him alleging that he was firing from the mosque. He denied the charges, claiming he wasn't there.}}<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3AMmbyA4Io |title=The Man Who Was Killed For Knowing Too Much! {{!}} The Untold Story Of Khalid Khawaja |date= |last=Raftar |access-date=2025-09-07 |via=YouTube}}</ref> }} | units1 = {{tree list}} * {{armed forces|Pakistan}} ** {{army|Pakistan}} ***18px|link=X Corps (Pakistan) X Corps ****18px|link=Pakistan Army 78th Paratrooper Brigade ***18px|link=XI Corps (Pakistan) XI Corps ****18px|link=Pakistan Army 9th Infantry Division ***18px|link=Pakistan Army 111th Brigade *** 18px|link=Special Service Group Special Service Group *** Army Aviation Corps **** Bell AH-1 Cobras<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pakistani-gunship-helicopter-flies-over-the-radical-islamic-news-photo/75038266 |title = Pakistani gunship helicopter flies over the radical Red Mosque |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 15 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pakistani-army-helicopter-flies-over-the-red-mosque-in-news-photo/75035446 |title = Pakistani army attack helicopter flies over The Red mosque in Islamabad |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 15 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images }}</ref> **** Predator Drones<ref name="Predator Drone" /> **** Eurocopter Fennecs<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/pakistan-army-surveillance-helicopter-hovers-above-the-news-photo/75271778 |title = Pakistan army surveillance helicopter hovers above the beseiged{{sic|nolink=y}} Red Mosque in Islamabad |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 8 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images }}</ref> ***Army Armoured Corps **** Al-Zarrar tanks **** M113 APCs<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/pakistani-army-soldier-sits-in-an-armoured-vehicle-in-front-news-photo/75258363 |title = Pakistani army soldier sits in an armoured vehicle in front of the Parliament building near the beseiged{{sic|nolink=y}} Red Mosque in Islamabad |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 7 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images}}</ref> ***** Talha APCs<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/pakistani-army-troopers-sit-on-the-top-of-an-armoured-news-photo/75294269 |title = Pakistani Armoured Personnel Carrier moving towards the besieged radical Islamic Red Mosque |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 10 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pakistani-army-troopers-sit-on-the-top-of-an-armoured-news-photo/75294260 |title = Pakistani army troopers sit on the top of an Armoured Personnel Carrier moving towards the besieged radical Islamic Red Mosque |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 10 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images}}</ref> **** Infantry tanks<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/pakistan-army-soldiers-load-up-a-machine-gun-mounted-on-an-news-photo/75278214 |title = Pakistan army soldiers load up a machine gun mounted on an armoured vehicle during the siege of the Red Mosque |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 9 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images}}</ref> **** Mohafiz APCs<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/pakistani-police-commandos-patrol-in-an-armoured-personnel-news-photo/75278768 |title = Pakistani commandos patrol in an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) in the area around the Red Mosque during a heavy exchange of fire in Islamabad |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 9 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/pakistani-police-commandos-fire-teargas-shells-from-news-photo/75280695 |title = Pakistani commandos fire teargas shells from Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) toward radical Islamic students of The Red Mosque during a heavy exchange of |access-date = 10 May 2008 |date = 9 July 2007 |publisher = Getty Images}}</ref> * {{coat of arms|Pakistan|text=Civil Armed Forces}} ** Riot police ** Pakistan Rangers *** Punjab Rangers {{tree list/end}} | units2 = {{tree list}} * {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} Lal Masjid militia **{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} Hafsa vigilantes{{efn|Sometimes dubbed by the press as the “burqa brigade” or “women vigilantes.”}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Dressed in Black: A Look at Pakistan's Radical Women |url=https://jamestown.org/dressed-in-black-a-look-at-pakistans-radical-women/|publisher=The Jamestown Foundation|access-date=8 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="Fawzia Afzal-Khan">{{cite web|title=What lies beneath: Dispatch from the front lines of the Burqa Brigade |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504630701848408|publisher=Fawzia Afzal-Khan|access-date=28 Jan 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='The Black Brigade' |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/3391030/the-black-brigade-20070506560544|publisher=brecorder|access-date=8 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="crss.pk">{{cite web|title=Red Mosque Bloodbath: A Potent Reminder of the Fatal Flaws |url=https://crss.pk/red-mosque-bloodbath-a-potent-reminder-of-the-fatal-flaws-2/|publisher=The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS)|access-date=2 February 2012}}</ref><ref name="Shaireen Rasheed">{{cite web|title=The Case of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) and the Role of Militant Feminism in Pakistan |url=https://www.qscience.com/docserver/fulltext/rels/2016/1/rels.2016.women.11.pdf?expires=1765098331&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=EAABB8C4A3FC7791876FAB8A79FE8746|publisher=Shaireen Rasheed|access-date=2 February 2012}}</ref> {{tree list/end}} | strength1 = {{tree list}} *15,000 Army Troops **164 SSG commandos *1,200 Paramilitary Rangers {{tree list/end}} | strength2 = 100 militia members<ref name="crss.pk">{{cite web|title=Red Mosque Bloodbath: A Potent Reminder of the Fatal Flaws |url=https://crss.pk/red-mosque-bloodbath-a-potent-reminder-of-the-fatal-flaws-2/|publisher=The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS)|access-date=2 February 2012}}</ref><br/>150 female vigilantes<ref>{{cite web|title=Students say 1,000 orphans were inside Jamia Hafsa during assault|url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/students-say-1000-orphans-were-inside-jamia-hafsa-during-assault-1.190043|publisher=Gulf News|access-date=28 January 2008}}</ref><ref name="Fawzia Afzal-Khan">{{cite web|title=What lies beneath: Dispatch from the front lines of the Burqa Brigade |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504630701848408|publisher=Fawzia Afzal-Khan|access-date=28 Jan 2008}}</ref><ref name="Shaireen Rasheed">{{cite web|title=The Case of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) and the Role of Militant Feminism in Pakistan |url=https://www.qscience.com/docserver/fulltext/rels/2016/1/rels.2016.women.11.pdf?expires=1765098331&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=EAABB8C4A3FC7791876FAB8A79FE8746|publisher=Shaireen Rasheed|access-date=2 February 2012}}</ref> | casualties1 = 11 killed<br />44 wounded | casualties2 = 120 killed<br />50 captured | casualties3 = 204 civilians injured }} {{War in North-West Pakistan}} The '''siege of Lal Masjid''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|لال مسجد محاصرہ}}}}; code-named '''Operation Sunrise<ref>{{cite news |author=Qudssia Akhlaque |date=12 July 2007 |title=It's 'Operation Sunrise' |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/256023/it |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304014535/http://www.dawn.com/2007/07/12/top7.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=4 March 2008 |access-date=14 May 2008 |url-status=live |publisher=Dawn}}</ref>''' initially code-named as '''Operation Silence<ref name="sundaytimes.lk">{{Cite web |title=Musharraf's Operation Silence and its echo |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/070715/International/i509.html |access-date=2014-02-28 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Najam |first=Adil |date=2007-07-03 |title='Operation Silence' Against Lal Masjid Islamabad |url=https://pakistaniat.com/2007/07/03/pakistan-readies-for-battle-curfew-imposed-tanks-and-special-forces-called/ |access-date=2007-07-03 |website=All Things Pakistan}}</ref>''')<ref name=":5">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20120127082958/http://www.globalbearings.net/2011/10/video-series-pt-1-from-osama-to-obama.html <nowiki>[Video Series] The Rise of the Pakistani Taliban</nowiki>]," Global Bearings, 27 October 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=11 July 2007 |title=Silence of the Dead in Islamabad |url=http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=162286 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929091325/http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=162286 |archive-date=29 September 2007 |access-date=11 July 2007 |publisher=The Statesman}}</ref> was an armed confrontation in July 2007 between a Islamist fundamentalist private militia and the government of Pakistan, led by president Pervez Musharraf and prime minister Shaukat Aziz. The focal points of the operation were the Lal Masjid ("Red Mosque") and the Jamia Hafsa madrasah complex in Islamabad, Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-06 |title=How the Pakistan army's Lal Masjid operation led to the downfall of Pervez Musharraf |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/pervez-musharraf-dead-lal-masjid-downfall-8425755/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
Lal Masjid had been operated by two brothers, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid, while the adjacent Jamia Hafsa madrasah been operated by Abdul Aziz's wife Umme Hassan. They advocated the imposition of Sharia (Islamic religious law) in Pakistan and openly called for the overthrow of the Pakistani government. Lal Masjid was in constant conflict with the authorities in Islamabad for 18 months prior to the military operation. They engaged in violent demonstrations, destruction of property, kidnapping and arson. After a combination of events such as Jamia Hafsa vigilantes taking hostage the Chinese massage parlor's workers and militia members setting fire to the Ministry of Environment building and attacking the Pakistan Rangers personnel who guarded it, the military responded, and the siege of the Lal Masjid complex began. The military response was the result of not only pressure from locals but also diplomatic pressure from China and the United States.<ref name="TRS" /><ref name="China backs Musharraf" />
The complex was besieged from 3 to 11 July 2007 and was eventually stormed and captured by the Pakistan Army's Special Service Group. The government reported that the operation resulted in 154 deaths, and the capture of 50 militia members.<ref name=nawaiwaqt/><ref name="univision"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-26 |title=Radical outing |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/world-affairs/article30192291.ece |access-date= |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref>
The siege had profound and lasting consequences for Pakistan. In its aftermath, the Taliban and their affiliated tribal militant groups in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakthunkhwa renounced the Waziristan Accord, a ten-month-old peace agreement with the Pakistani government.<ref name="CBS">{{cite news |last1=Goldwert |first1=Lindsay |date=16 July 2007 |title=Pakistan Militants End Peace Agreement |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pakistan-militants-end-peace-agreement-16-07-2007/ |access-date=31 May 2017 |work=CBS News}}</ref><ref name="LA Times">{{cite news |date=16 July 2007 |title=Cease-fire is over, say Pakistani militants |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jul-16-fg-pakistan16-story.html |access-date=31 May 2017 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=19 July 2007 |title=Scores killed in Pakistan attacks |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6905808.stm |access-date=13 May 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Following the siege, a wave of militancy and violence swept the country. This began the same month with an event known as the July bombings, the ensuing violence caused over 4,000 casualties in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |date=4 May 2008 |title=Militants burn down girls' school in northwest Pakistan |url=http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/southasia/news/article_1403354.php/Militants_burn_down_girls_school_in_north-west_Pakistan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508172531/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/southasia/news/article_1403354.php/Militants_burn_down_girls_school_in_north-west_Pakistan |archive-date=8 May 2008 |access-date=13 May 2008 |publisher=M&C News}}</ref> historians often cite the siege as the catalyst for the intensification of the War in North-West Pakistan.<ref name=":5" /> Regarded as one of the longest urban battles in Pakistan's history, the event has also been likened by historians to both the Waco siege and Operation Blue Star.<ref>{{Cite web |last=fpifadmin |date=2010-07-03 |title=The Red Mosque Was Pakistan's Waco - FPIF |url=https://fpif.org/the_red_mosque_was_pakistans_waco/ |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=Foreign Policy In Focus |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":16" />
The siege became a highly controversial event, even within military circles. Senior generals like Jamshed Gulzar Kiani and Asad Durrani criticized the government's handling of the operation, claiming the use of unnecessary force led to a significant loss of life.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-11-02 |title=Jamshed Gulzar Kiani dies |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/328136/jamshed-gulzar-kiani-dies |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=dawn.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Durani 2018 34">{{Cite book |last=Durani |first=Asad |title=The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace |date=2018 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-9352779253 |publication-date=2018 |pages=34}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Red Mosque Bloodbath: A Potent Reminder of the Fatal Flaws {{!}} |website=CRSS|url=https://crss.pk/red-mosque-bloodbath-a-potent-reminder-of-the-fatal-flaws-2/|access-date=2012-02-01|language=en-US}}</ref> Meanwhile, officials within GHQ claimed the operation was planned by Tariq Majid under the direct orders of Pervez Musharraf, deliberately sidestepping and without getting the approval for the operation by the Army's General Headquarters and Directorate of Military Operations.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=2012-12-06 |title=Was the Lal Masjid operation conducted after consensus? |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/626963-was-the-lal-masjid-operation-conducted-after-consensus? |access-date=2012-12-06 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=Morin |first=Richard |date=2010-11-10 |title=Ex-MI chief, commanders Quetta, Pindi involved |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/609885-ex-mi-chief,-commanders-quetta,-pindi-involved |access-date=2010-11-10 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en-US}}</ref> The decision was so centralized that, as former federal ministers later confirmed, it was made without consulting the Cabinet of Pakistan.<ref name="Asad">{{Cite web |last=Asad |first=Malik |date=2013-02-13 |title=Lal Masjid: Cabinet was kept in dark about operation |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/785727/lal-masjid-cabinet-was-kept-in-dark-about-operation |access-date=2013-02-13 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>{{Pervez Musharraf sidebar}}
== Background ==
=== Lal Masjid === {{Main|Lal Masjid, Islamabad}} The Lal Masjid was founded by Muhammad Abdullah Ghazi in 1965 and President Ayub Khan laid the foundation stone for the mosque.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=18 October 2016 |title=شہیداسلام مولانا عبداللہ شہید شخصیت و کردار۔۔۔تحریر مولاناتنویراحمداعوان |url=https://shaffak.com/news/details/tanvir-awan-003890/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208172421/https://shaffak.com/news/details/tanvir-awan-003890/ |archive-date=8 February 2021 |access-date=8 February 2021 |website=Shaffak |language=ur}}</ref> In English, Lal Masjid translates to the "Red Mosque", and the name is derived from the red color of the mosque's walls and interiors.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Lal Masjid at 40 |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/563290-lal-masjid-40 |access-date=2022-02-22 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}</ref>
Since its founding, the mosque was frequented by leaders of the Pakistani military and government including prominent Pakistani leaders such as Presidents Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Farooq Leghari, and Prime Minister Balakh Sher Mazari as well as foreign leaders, including Saudi Kings Faisal and Khalid, and Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Book Review: Negotiating the Siege of the Lal Masjid |url=https://newslinemagazine.com/magazine/book-review-negotiating-siege-lal-masjid/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Newsline |language=en}}</ref>
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the Army Chief of Staff who later became president after seizing power in a coup d'état in 1977, was a close associate of the mosque's Imam Abdullah.<ref name="Red Mosque Profile">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6503477.stm |date=27 July 2007|title=Profile: Islamabad's Red Mosque|author=Syed Shoaib Hasan |access-date=21 May 2008|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The mosque is located near the headquarters of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and several staff members were known to go there for prayers.<ref name="Red Mosque Profile" /> During and after the Soviet–Afghan War, the mosque continued to function as a center for Islamic fundamentalist learning and housed several thousand male and female students in adjacent seminaries.<ref name="Red Mosque Profile" />
Imam Maulana Abdullah was assassinated at the mosque in 1998. On his death, his sons, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid, assumed responsibility for the entire complex.<ref name="pTime2">{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20070712224737/http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/07/11/top1.htm "Islamabad Red Mosque Cleric Killed"]}} ''Pakistan Times'', 11 July 2007, retrieved 27 July 2009</ref>
=== Jamia Hafsa === {{Main|Jamia Hafsa}}
Jamia Hafsa is a madrassa for women adjacent to the Lal Masjid. It is considered the largest Islamic religious institution for women in the world, with more than 6,000 students.<ref name="Jamia" />
It was constructed by Maulana Muhammad Abdullah in 1989. After his assassination, supervision passed to his son Abdul Aziz and his spouse Umme Hassan, while Abdul Rashid ran an institution for boys known as Jamia Faridia.<ref name="Jamia">{{cite web |url=http://www.jamiahafsa.page.tl/Introduction.htm |title=Introduction |access-date=24 May 2008 |publisher=Jamia Hafsa |archive-date=17 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317191914/https://jamiahafsa.page.tl/Introduction.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-10-04 |title=Editorial; October 04, 2007 |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1070531 |access-date= |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref> Students were taught general subjects, including mathematics and geography but were not tested on these subjects; the only exams were on religious subjects.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Islamabad's Umme Hassan: Female Mobilizer and Jihadist Inspirer at the Red Mosque |url=https://jamestown.org/program/islamabads-umme-hassan-female-mobilizer-and-jihadist-inspirer-at-the-red-mosque/ |access-date= |website=Jamestown Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== After 9/11 === Following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his support for the US-led war on terror. This declaration sparked conflict with the Lal Masjid, whose leadership was openly pro-Taliban.<ref name="Red Mosque Profile" /> Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid denied having any links to banned terrorist organizations but were vehemently opposed to the war on terror and the conflict in Afghanistan. They openly condemned Musharraf.<ref name="Red Mosque Profile" />
In July 2005, Pakistani authorities raided the mosque in connection with their investigation into the 7 July 2005 London bombings, but the police were blocked by baton-wielding female students.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-09-19 |title=Pakistan's Islamic girl schools |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4258224.stm?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date= |language=en-GB}}</ref>{{AI-retrieved source|date=March 2026|checked=no}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-07-19 |title=Let The Truth Be Told |url=https://laalmasjid.wordpress.com/jamia-hafsa-july-19-2005/ |access-date= |website=Lal Masjid - Let The Truth Be Told |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pKw5otig-k |title=Security forces raid seminary and mosque |date=2015-07-21 |last=Associated Press |access-date=2015-07-21 |via=YouTube}}</ref> After the raid, authorities apologized for the behavior of the police.<ref name="BBC05">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4258224.stm|date=19 September 2005|title=Profile: Islamabad's Red Mosque|author=Jannat Jalil |access-date=23 May 2008|publisher=BBC News|author-link=Jannat Jalil}}</ref>
=== 2007 Standoff === During the first half of 2007, students and mosque leaders began to challenge the Pakistani government's authority by calling for Islamic law and to end co-operation with the United States.<ref name=":432">{{Cite web |last1=Janjua |first1=Simran Saeed |last2=Malik |first2=Mishaal |last3=Malik |first3=Simran Saeed Janjua and Mishaal |date=2024-07-12 |title=Miscalculation or Inevitable? The Lal Masjid Siege and its Legacy |url=https://southasiatimes.org/miscalculation-or-inevitable-the-lal-masjid-siege-and-its-legacy/ |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=South Asia Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite web|title=لال مسجد گولڈن ٹمپل کی راہ پر|url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070406_masjid_temple_sq|website=BBC News|access-date=2022-12-01}}</ref>
A confrontation took place when the mosque launched a campaign against the demolition of mosques in Islamabad by the Capital Development Authority.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-02-21 |title=In Pakistan, Student Sit-In in Defense of Mosques |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/world/asia/21library.html |access-date=2007-02-21 |language=en}}</ref> After an illegally constructed mosque was destroyed, students at the Red Mosque's two affiliated seminaries launched an all-out campaign for Shari's and an anti-vice campaign, occupying a nearby children's library and embarking on vigilante raids through the capital to stop what they called "un-Islamic activities," such as DVD vendors, barber shops and a Chinese-run massage parlor that they accused of being a brothel.<ref name="At Pakistan's Red Mosque, a Return of Islamic Militancy">{{cite news |date=17 April 2009 |title=At Pakistan's Red Mosque, a Return of Islamic Militancy |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1892254,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420050830/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1892254,00.html |archive-date=20 April 2009 |access-date=31 January 2013 |publisher=TIME}}</ref> They blocked authorities from reaching the site and then occupied a nearby children's library building. This was carried out primarily by the female students of Jamia Hafsa.'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-20 |title=Women And The Narrative Of Extremist Violence In Pakistan |url=https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2023/07/20/book-extract-drivers-or-decoys-women-and-the-narrative-of-extremist-violence-in-pakistan/ |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=The Friday Times |language=en}}</ref>''' The students set up an around-the-clock vigil and promised a "''fight to the death''" when the government threatened to evict them.<ref name="Red Mosque Profile" /> The situation was defused when the authorities opened negotiations.<ref name="Red Mosque Profile" /> The government later reconstructed the demolished portions of the mosque compound. The Lal Masjid leadership demanded the reconstruction of six other demolished mosques in the capital city.<ref name="Red Mosque Profile" />
On 6 April, Imam Abdul Aziz established a sharia court in parallel with Pakistan's federal judicial system and pledged thousands of suicide attacks if the government attempted to close it.<ref>{{cite web |last=Farooq |first=Umer |date=7 April 2007 |title=Religious Cleric Threatens Suicide Attacks |url=http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=&no=354646&rel_no=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305005909/http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=&no=354646&rel_no=1 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |access-date=22 October 2015 |work=OhmyNews International}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=لال مسجد: خطبہ جمعہ کا متن|url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070406_lalmasjid_text_si|website=www.bbc.com|access-date=2015-12-01}}</ref>
In June 2007, female students from Jamia Hafsa kidnapped three Chinese women from sector F-8 of Islamabad, who they accused of running a brothel, and seized two policemen.<ref name="ToI">{{cite news |date=10 July 2007 |title=Chronology of Lal Masjid clashes |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2190609.cms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713090959/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2190609.cms |archive-date=13 July 2007 |access-date=10 May 2008 |work=The Times of India}}</ref> All of the women were released after supposedly confessing to running the brothel and were shown on the television wearing burqas. Also due in part to an intercession from the Chinese Ambassador, Luo Zhaohui.<ref name="Dawn News">{{cite news |date=24 June 2007 |title=Chinese hostages freed |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/253217/chinese-hostages-freed |access-date=19 April 2016 |publisher=Dawn News}}</ref>
== Timeline ==
=== Siege === On 3 July 2007, a battle erupted between Pakistani security forces and students of mosque when law enforcement agencies attempted to besiege the mosque by placing barbwires around the mosque precinct.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-02 |title=Reinforcement around Lal Masjid |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/254566/reinforcement-around-lal-masjid |access-date=2007-07-03 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref> Riot police fired tear gas to disperse the students leaving nine people dead and approximately 150 injured.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-07-04 |title=Pakistan's Battles Against Islamic Militants Reach the Capital |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/world/asia/04pakistan.html |access-date=2007-07-04 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-07-03 |title=Militant Students, Security Forces Battle in Pakistan |url=https://www.npr.org/2007/07/03/11693507/militant-students-security-forces-battle-in-pakistan |access-date=2025-12-11 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> Among the dead were four mosque students, a TV news channel cameraman, a businessman, and a pedestrian. Within minutes, security forces closed off the area, and the capital's hospitals declared an emergency. Sporadic clashes continued as Pakistan Rangers paramilitary troops deployed into the area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-04 |title=Fierce gunbattles rock capital: •Army troops deployed around Lal Masjid •Curfew imposed in area •Rangers man, journalist among 10 killed •Govt buildings torched |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/254728/fierce-gunbattles-rock-capital-army-troops-deployed-around-lal-masjid-curfew-imposed-in-area-rangers-man-journalist-among-10-killed-govt-buildings-torched |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Dawn1>{{cite news | url = https://www.dawn.com/news/254728/fierce-gunbattles-rock-capital | title = Fierce gunbattles rock capital |date=4 July 2007|access-date=10 May 2008|last=Raza |first=Syed |author2=Munawar Azeem | publisher = Dawn | url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080105083131/http://www.dawn.com/2007/07/04/top1.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 5 January 2008}}</ref>
On 4 July 2007, authorities announced an indefinite curfew in Sector G-6 of Islamabad, where Lal Masjid is located. The government offered Rs. 5,000 (equivalent to $50 USDs or £41 GBP), plus a free education, to anyone exiting the mosque unarmed.<ref name=BBC1/> Women inside the mosque were also offered safe passage to their homes. Successive deadlines were extended, as mosque leaders allowed students to surrender. Government authorities announced the first deadline for the occupants of Lal Masjid to surrender unconditionally as 15:30 Pakistan Standard Time (PST), and it was pushed back to 16:00, 18:00, 19:30 and then 21:30.<ref name=BBC1>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6270962.stm | title = Anguish of Pakistan mosque parents|access-date=10 May 2008 |author=Syed Shoaib Hasan |date=4 July 2007 | publisher = BBC News}}</ref>
Before dawn on 5 July 2007, Paramilitary troops set off a series of explosions around the mosque. Gunfire was exchanged throughout the day, but open clashes apparently stopped. Deadline extensions continued on 5 July 2007.<ref name="BBC 1">{{cite news |date=5 July 2007 |title=Blasts at radical Pakistan mosque |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6274518.stm |access-date=10 May 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
Following the fourth deadline, Imam Abdul Aziz was captured trying to escape disguised as a woman wearing a burqa.<ref name="BBC 1"/> Following the capture of this leader, about 800 male students and 400 female students of Jamia Hafsa surrendered to the authorities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thenews.jang.com.pk/updates.asp?id=25443 |title=Forces on alert as deadline to Lal Masjid passes |access-date=10 May 2008 |date=17 May 2007 |publisher=The News International |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223212603/http://thenews.jang.com.pk/updates.asp?id=25443 |archive-date=23 February 2009 }}</ref>
The BBC News reported that Abdul Aziz's younger brother, Abdul Rashid, had been negotiating with a government mediator. He had offered a ceasefire, stating that his followers would lay down their arms if government security forces stopped firing and grant them amnesty. The Pakistani government dismissed the proposal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2007-07-05 |title=Pakistan cleric offers surrender |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6274518.stm |access-date= |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":17">{{Cite web |title=Cleric in besieged Pakistan mosque offers surrender, gov´t says no |url=https://www.cctv.com/english/20070706/100568.shtml |access-date=2007-07-10 |website=www.cctv.com}}</ref> In a telephone interview from a live transmission of Geo TV, Abdul Rashid denied all the charges against him and reiterated his innocence. He further demanded a guarantee that no harm would come to his followers inside the mosque. He also received a promise that his ailing mother would receive medical care.<ref name=":17" /><ref name=":0" />
The siege continued on 6 July 2007. Negotiation talks continued between the besieged mosque administration and government authorities, without resolution. Twenty-one additional students surrendered to authorities, and two students were killed in a shooting incident.<ref name="BBC2">{{cite news |date=6 July 2007 |title=Fresh fighting at Pakistan mosque |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6278074.stm |access-date=10 May 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan tightens mosque siege |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2007/7/7/pakistan-tightens-mosque-siege-2 |access-date= |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>
=== SSG raid === On the evening of 7 July 2007, President Pervez Musharraf issued an ultimatum, stating that "''those who did not surrender would be killed''".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Musharraf tells mosque militants "surrender or die" |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/economy/musharraf-tells-mosque-militants-quotsurrender-or-diequot-idUSSP282394/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |work=Reuters}}</ref>{{AI-retrieved source|date=March 2026|checked=no}} The Pakistani army then took over the operation and replaced the Pakistan Rangers paramilitary troops deployed around the premises.<ref name="BBC2" /> In response, the military tasked the elite Special Service Group (SSG) with conducting an overnight raid. Supported by heavy weapons, including artillery, tanks, and armored personnel carriers consisting of M113 APCs and the Al-Zarrar tanks,<ref name=":19" /> the commandos advanced on the position and established perimeters on nearby structures, such as the roof of the Islamabad College.<ref name=":19">{{Cite web |last=Roggio |first=Bill |date=2007-07-05 |title=The battle at the Red Mosque |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2007/07/the_battle_at_the_re.php |access-date=2025-11-02 |website=FDD's Long War Journal |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-04 |title=A chronology of the Lal Masjid standoff |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/254702/a-chronology-of-the-lal-masjid-standoff |access-date= |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>
Around midnight at 1:00 am (20:00 GMT), Special Service Group commandos under covering fire from tanks and Cobra helicopters raided the outer perimeter of the compound and were met with heavy armed resistance, the commandos breached and blasted holes through the boundary wall of Lal Masjid and the adjacent Jamia Hafsa.<ref name="Blasting holes">{{cite news | url = http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/90C3E815-70D0-4733-A151-E767F599C592.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070710140614/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/90C3E815-70D0-4733-A151-E767F599C592.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 10 July 2007 | title = Pakistan mosque clashes intensify | access-date = 10 May 2008 | date = 8 July 2007 | publisher = Al Jazeera English }}</ref>
In response, Abdul Rashid Ghazi accused government forces of causing the deaths of his students during their raid. He claimed that the bombardment led to a wall collapse that killed many of his students including women.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-08 |title=Cleric reports hundreds killed in mosque |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2007/07/08/Cleric-reports-hundreds-killed-in-mosque/62631183893684/ |access-date= |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-05 |title=Mosque cleric ready for martyrdom in standoff |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19608449 |access-date= |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>
SSG Commander Lt. Col. Haroon-ul-Islam, who had been leading the raid, was wounded and died in the hospital two days later.<ref name="BBC3">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6281404.stm |title=Pakistani colonel killed in clash |access-date=10 May 2008 |date=8 July 2007 |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Colonel killed in Pakistan siege |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2007/7/8/colonel-killed-in-pakistan-siege |access-date= |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Walsh |first=Declan |date=2007-07-09 |title=Elite army commander killed in mosque siege |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jul/09/pakistan.declanwalsh |access-date=2025-10-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Raza |first=Syed Irfan |date=2007-07-09 |title=Commander's killing raises spectre of all-out assault |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/255506/commander-s-killing-raises-spectre-of-all-out-assault |access-date=2015-10-24 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>
=== Preparation for the assault === On 8 and 9 July 2007, MQ-1 Predator Drones flew over Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa, capturing images of the deployment of people inside.<ref name="Predator Drone">{{cite news| url = http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=114788| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928145831/http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=114788| url-status = dead| archive-date = 28 September 2007|access-date=10 May 2008 | title = Drones fly over Lal Masjid | publisher = Online News Pakistan }}</ref> Security forces also had the images taken to study the claims of Abdul Rashid Ghazi regarding casualties and damage caused to Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa after the commandos raid.<ref name="Predator Drone"/>
The aircraft flew over Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa for more than an hour, from 2:40 to 4:00 am.<ref name="Predator Drone" /> Senior government officials and the Security Forces personnel examined the pictures and relayed the information directly to the command post on the ground.<ref name="Predator Drone" /> The Predators had been given to Pakistan by the United States for use in the war on terror.<ref name="Predator Drone" /> Strategic planning for the assault on the mosque was conducted based on information gathered by the drone.<ref name="Predator Drone" />
Pakistan Army then deployed several of its units to execute the attack on the mosque. These include the Army's 10th Corps and 11th Corps including the 78th Paratrooper Brigade, the Ninth Wing Company and the 111th Infantry Brigade;<ref name=":15" /> alongside the army's elite strike force, the Special Service Group; aided by the Rangers paramilitary force; and the Elite Police of the Punjab Police.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Red Mosque, Dark Shadows |url=https://www.rusi.orghttps//www.rusi.org |access-date= |website=www.rusi.orghttps |language=en}}</ref> Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao announced at a press conference that the Army confirmed that between 300 and 400 students remained in the mosque, and only 50 to 60 were considered to be armed.<ref>{{cite news |author=Syed Mohsin Naqvi |date=4 July 2007 |title=Red Mosque students surrender slowly |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/04/pakistan.mosque/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226030905/http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/04/pakistan.mosque/index.html |archive-date=26 December 2018 |access-date=10 May 2008 |publisher=CNN}}</ref>
=== Negotiations === On the night of 9 July 2007, as a military assault was being prepared, a delegation including politicians Shujaat Hussain and Ijlaz Ul Haq, as well as religious scholars Saleemullah Khan, Mufti Rafi Usmani, Mufti Naeem, Hanif Jalandhari and Fazlur Rehman Khalil, arrived at the Lal Masjid to negotiate a last-minute ceasefire.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-10 |title=Breakthrough in sight: Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa standoff |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/255660/breakthrough-in-sight-lal-masjid-jamia-hafsa-standoff |access-date=2015-10-24 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-07-09 |title=Hints of Surrender at Rebellious Mosque in Pakistan's Capital |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/06/world/asia/06pakistan.html |access-date=2011-02-22 |language=en}}</ref> According to Rafi Usmani, an agreement was reached but was cancelled at the last moment by President Pervez Musharraf, who then ordered the military to launch the assault.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=2007-07-11 |title=Musharraf blamed for talks failure |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/255773/musharraf-blamed-for-talks-failure |access-date=2015-10-24 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sajjad |first=Dr. Fatima |date=2019 |title=A Comparative Framing Analysis of the Red Mosque Incident in the Coverage of Local Right Wing and Western Print Media |url=https://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/pols/pdf-files/2-v26_2_19.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com |journal=Journal of Political Studies |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=19}}</ref>{{AI-retrieved source|date=March 2026|checked=no}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistani forces storm Red Mosque |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/pakistani_forces_storm_red_mosque/ |access-date= |website=openDemocracy |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Asad |first=Malik |date=2013-04-21 |title=Lal Masjid operation: Report holds Musharraf govt responsible |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1024681/lal-masjid-operation-report-holds-musharraf-govt-responsible |access-date= |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>
Fazlur Rehman Khalil, one of the mediators, similarly claimed that Abdul Rashid Ghazi was amenable to a peaceful settlement and had been persuaded to agree to the government's demands, culminating in a five-point agenda to end the standoff.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=umer.nangiana |date=2013-02-20 |title=Lal Masjid commission: 'Musharraf was determined to use force' |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/509868/lal-masjid-commission-musharraf-was-determined-to-use-force |access-date= |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref> Khalil further stated that Ghazi had agreed to surrender and had accepted a peace deal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-28 |title=عبدالرشید غازی نے مشرف کا معاہدہ تسلیم کر لیا تھا پھر بھی آپریشن کیا گیا: فضل الرحمن خلیل |url=http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/islamabad/28-Mar-2014/291583 |access-date=2015-06-21 |website=Nawa-i-waqt |language=ur}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title=Pak used India's most wanted in Masjid talks |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/11masjid1.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2015-11-17 |website=www.rediff.com}}</ref>{{AI-retrieved source|date=March 2026|checked=no}}<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pertMMlNelk |title=Capital Talk discusses Laal Masjid Attack |date=2013-03-20 |last=Geo News |access-date=2013-03-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
Mufti Naeem, one of the mediators and the head of Jamia Binoria, also stated that Abdul Rashid Ghazi had agreed to the government's demands and was preparing to depart the mosque complex when the military operation commenced. Naeem claimed, "We had succeeded in brokering an agreement and everything was agreed upon.<ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Mansoor |first=Hasan |date=2007-07-12 |title=KARACHI: 'The ministers are lying through their teeth' |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/255912/karachi-the-ministers-are-lying-through-their-teeth |access-date=2017-07-12 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref> We were staying at a house near the Lal Masjid when a military officer approached us and asked us to leave the place in 15 minutes. Soon we heard that the operation had formally been launched."<ref name=":18" />
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)'s leadership, which had also engaged in separate negotiations with Ghazi, stated that a peace accord was reached whereby Ghazi expressed his willingness to surrender to authorities but was cancelled at the last moment by President Pervez Musharraf.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-15 |title=Pervez Musharraf ordered for Lal Masjid operation: JI |url=https://nation.com.pk/15-Mar-2014/pervez-musharraf-ordered-for-lal-masjid-operation-ji |access-date= |website=The Nation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":8" />
The military high command then presented President Pervez Musharraf with three options to resolve the standoff: an air strike to destroy the compound, the use of chemical gases to render the occupants unconscious, or a direct ground assault conducted by the Special Service Group (SSG).<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-07-09 |title=Pak govt defers plans to storm Lal Masjid |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pak-govt-defers-plans-to-storm-Lal-Masjid/articleshow/2190383.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date= |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>{{AI-retrieved source|date=March 2026|checked=no}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Storming of Lal Masjid in Pakistan: An Analysis |url=https://www.idsa.in/idsa-event/storming-of-lal-masjid-in-pakistan-an-analysis |access-date=2015-12-12 |website=MP-IDSA |language=en-US}}</ref> Musharraf chose the final option and ordered the SSG to commence the operation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Red Mosque, Dark Shadows |url=https://www.rusi.orghttps//www.rusi.org |access-date=2015-12-12 |website=www.rusi.orghttps |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-09 |title=Pakistani President OKs final operation against Red Mosque |url=https://www.cctv.com/english/20070709/100438.shtml |access-date= |website=www.cctv.com}}</ref>
=== The assault === {{External media|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FcEfZthmTo Stand off continues at radical mosque (Uniform: Punjab Rangers).]}}On the morning of 10 July 2007, The Pakistani Army issued orders to Special Service Group to storm the mosque and the adjacent madrassah.<ref name="Deaths1">{{cite news |author=Aziz Malik |title=Cleric Ghazi, Scores Killed: Islamabad Red Mosque Operation in Decisive Phase |url=http://pakistantimes.net/2007/07/11/top.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712224953/http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/07/11/top.htm |archive-date=12 July 2007 |access-date=12 May 2008 |work=Pakistan Times}}</ref>
Pakistan Army spokesman Waheed Arshad said troops began by attacking and breaching the mosque from the south and assaulted it from three directions at 4:00 am (23:00 GMT).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://mwcnews.net/content/view/15336/0/ |title='Dozens dead' in Red Mosque assault |date=10 July 2007 |publisher=MWC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221224708/http://mwcnews.net/content/view/15336/0/ |archive-date=21 February 2009 |access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref> The commandos came under gunfire from behind sandbagged positions on the roof and from the windows of the mosque.<ref name="G1">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/pakistan/Story/0,,2123619,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12 |title=Red Mosque siege declared over |access-date=10 May 2008 |author=Declan Walsh |date=11 July 2007 |work=The Guardian|location=London}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite news |date=10 July 2007 |title=Troops storm Pakistan Red Mosque |url=http://chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-07/10/content_5424458.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613175118/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-07/10/content_5424458.htm |archive-date=13 June 2008 |access-date=24 May 2008 |publisher=China Daily |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The army quickly took control of the mosque and then entered Jamia Hafsa madrasah and according to reports, the troops suffered most of their casualties during this phase of the operation.<ref name=":2" /> In close-quarter combat, smoke grenades, incendiary weapons, phosphorus munitions, tear gas and fragmentation grenades were used.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":6">{{cite news |author=Declan Walsh |author-link=Declan Walsh (journalist) |date=11 July 2007 |title=Red Mosque siege declared over |url=https://www.theguardian.com/pakistan/Story/0,,2123619,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12 |access-date=10 May 2008 |work=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref> It took several hours of intense fighting before the troops gained control of the madrassah with only its basement remaining.<ref name=":2"/><ref>{{cite news |date=10 July 2007 |title=Pakistani soldiers storm mosque |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6286500.stm |access-date=10 May 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
==== Final stand ==== In a last interview with Geo TV during the operation, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was hunkered down in the basement, claimed that his ailing mother had been wounded by gunfire and was quoted as saying: "''The government is using full force. This is naked aggression{{nbsp}}... my murder is certain now." Ghazi also claimed that 30 rebels were still battling Pakistani troops, but they only had 14 AK-47s''.<ref name=":12">Zahid Hussain, ''The Scorpion's Tail: The Relentless Rise of Islamic Militants in Pakistan-And How It Threatens America'', Simon and Schuster (2010), p. 112</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Baker |first=Aryn |title=Life After Death |url=https://time.com/archive/6681543/life-after-death-3/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240914202546/https://time.com/archive/6681543/life-after-death-3/ |archive-date=2024-09-14 |access-date=2025-12-11 |work=TIME |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Troops Storm Mosque, Kill Rebel Cleric -- china.org.cn |url=http://www.china.org.cn/international/photos/2007-07/11/content_1216649.htm |access-date=2025-12-11 |website=www.china.org.cn}}</ref>
The shootout continued in the basement and according to Ministry of Interior, after being wounded in the leg and called upon to surrender, Ghazi was killed when the firefight in the room intensified.<ref name="PT1">{{cite news |url = http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/07/11/top1.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070712224737/http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/07/11/top1.htm |url-status = usurped |archive-date = 12 July 2007 |title = Islamabad Red Mosque Cleric Ghazi Killed |work = Pakistan Times |date = 11 July 2007 |access-date = 10 July 2007 }}</ref><ref name=":22">{{cite news |last1=Farooqui |first1=Asif |date=10 July 2007 |title=Obituary: Abdul Rashid Ghazi |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6281228.stm |work=BBC News}}</ref> The firefight continued until all the personnel trapped in the basement either surrendered or were killed.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The last battle |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2007/07/10/the-last-battle |access-date=2025-12-11 |work=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref><ref name="xin200707102">{{cite news |date=10 July 2007 |title=TV: 70 militants dead in operation against Lal Masjid in Pakistani capital |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/10/content_6353511.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913200007/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/10/content_6353511.htm |archive-date=13 September 2007 |access-date=10 May 2008 |publisher=China View}}</ref> Ghazi's sister-in-law, Umme Hassan, was among a group of women who refused to surrender after barricading themselves in a nearby basement; she was injured and subsequently arrested.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-11 |title=How Umme Hassan was captured |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/255804/how-umme-hassan-was-captured |access-date=2007-07-11 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Report |first=Dawn |date=2007-07-11 |title=It's all over as Ghazi is killed |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/255830/it-s-all-over-as-ghazi-is-killed |access-date=2008-03-12 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref> however Ghazi's ailing mother and nephew, Hassan Ghazi (the son of his elder brother), were killed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roggio |first=Bill |date=2007-07-09 |title=The assault on the Red Mosque has begun |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2007/07/the_assault_on_the_r.php |access-date= |website=FDD's Long War Journal |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Asad |first=Malik |date=2013-01-03 |title=Final assault on Lal Masjid: Top clerics were not there |url=https://www.dawn.com/2013/01/03/final-assault-on-lal-masjid-top-clerics-were-not-there/ |access-date= |website=Dawn |language=en}}{{dead link|date=April 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Islam |first=Benazir Shah,Nazar-ul |title=Meeting Pakistan's Maulana Mohammad Abdul Aziz |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2016/2/4/meeting-pakistans-maulana-mohammad-abdul-aziz |access-date= |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>
=== Complex captured === On 11 July 2007, officials reported that the mosque and madrassah complex had been captured and that it took them 36 hours to fully take over the complex.<ref name=":6" />
Behind an army cordon, emergency workers waited for clearance to enter the complex. Female police officers were present to handle female survivors and casualties. Relatives of the those inside the Lal Masjid were also outside the cordon. The Associated Press reported: "''The siege has given the neighborhood the look of a war zone''", with troops manning machine guns behind sandbagged posts and from the top of armored vehicles.<ref name=":2"/>
==== Seized weapons ==== According to Inter-Services Public Relations, weapons recovered from the bullet-riddled complex included RPG rockets, anti-tank and anti-personnel landmines, suicide bombing belts, three to five .22-caliber rifles, RPD, RPK and RPK-74 light machine guns, Dragunov Sniper Rifles, SKS rifles, AK-47s, pistols, night vision equipment, and more than 50,000 rounds of various caliber ammunition.<ref name="Witte">{{cite news |last=Witte|first=Griff|date=12 July 2007|title=Mosque siege ends, and grim cleanup begins|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/07/12/MNGOTQUTPG1.DTL|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222000958/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/07/12/MNGOTQUTPG1.DTL|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 December 2007|access-date=10 May 2008|newspaper=The Washington Post|via=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref> Lesser sophisticated items and weaponry recovered from the complex included three crates of gasoline bombs prepared in green soft drink bottles, gas masks, recoilless rifles, two-way radios, large plastic buckets containing homemade bombs the size of tennis balls, as well as knives.<ref name="Witte" />
Some journalists questioned why the militia did not employ their heavy weapons as a last resort. Furthermore, despite being in possession of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, there were no confirmed reports of their use in the conflict.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-13 |title=Lal Masjid complex visit gives birth to serious doubts |url=http://www.brecorder.com/news/3413229 |access-date= |website=Brecorder |language=en}}</ref>
The cache of seized arms later disappeared from the heavily guarded treasury of a nearby Police Station. In response, Rehman Malik, the Minister of Interior, ordered the suspension of multiple police officials connected to the security breach. The suspended personnel included the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), the Station House Officer (SHO), and fourteen other officers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-12-22 |title=Lal Masjid weapons stolen from police lockup |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/956834/lal-masjid-weapons-stolen-from-police-lockup |access-date= |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>
== Casualties == Officials in Islamabad considered the operation a success, citing that they were able to subdue all the fighters inside the mosque without a heavy civilian toll. "''The number of casualties was much lower than it could have been''," said Shaukat Aziz, Pakistan's prime minister.<ref name="Witte"/> Of the 164 Special Services Group Army commandos that participated in the siege and later assault of the mosque, 10 died and 33 were wounded.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/pakistan/Story/0,,2123619,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12 | title = Red Mosque siege declared over|access-date=10 May 2008 |author=Declan Walsh |date=11 July 2007| work = The Guardian| location=London| author-link = Declan Walsh (journalist)}}</ref>
The Inspector General of Police reported that from 3 July until 11 July 2007, 1,096 people left from the complex.<ref name="Pak Army Casualties">{{cite news|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/11/AR2007071100367.html | title = Pakistani Forces Kill Last Holdouts in Red Mosque|access-date=10 May 2008 |author=Griff Witte |date=12 July 2007 | newspaper = Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="Casualties from raid">{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/256353/bodies-not-kept-in-i-9-storage-sc-told |title=Bodies not kept in I-9 storage, SC told |publisher=Dawn |date=14 July 2007 |access-date=14 July 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716161749/http://www.dawn.com/2007/07/14/top2.htm |archive-date=16 July 2007 }}</ref> The inspector also confirmed that 102 people were killed during the operation: 91 militia members, 10 Special Service Group commandos, and 1 paramilitary ranger.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6967537.stm |title=Court demands Red Mosque answers |publisher=BBC | date= 28 August 2007 | access-date=29 August 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/256342/lal-masjid-women-children-also-killed-g-6-curfew-to-be-lifted-today |title=Lal Masjid women, children also killed: G-6 curfew to be lifted today |publisher=Dawn |date=14 July 2007 |access-date=14 July 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716201848/http://dawn.com/2007/07/14/top1.htm |archive-date=16 July 2007 }}</ref> This includes the sixteen dead on 10 July 2007. A total of 248 people were injured, including 204 civilians, 41 army soldiers, and 3 Rangers. Seventy-five bodies were recovered from the premises after the operation.<ref name="Casualties from raid"/>
Nineteen bodies were burned beyond recognition according to Pakistani officials.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2007 |title=Charred bodies found in Pakistan mosque school |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-pakistan-mosque-scene/charred-bodies-found-in-pakistan-mosque-school-idUKISL4491420070712/}}</ref> An article in ''The Nation'', cited a grave digger at the cemetery where the bodies were being buried, who claimed there was the possibility that there may have been more than one body in each coffin. The article also stated that the government was digging more graves than previously established.<ref name="More than one person in a coffin? says gravedigger.">{{cite news|url = http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/july-2007/13/nationalnews3.php | title = Emotional scenes at burial of Lal Masjid victims|access-date=10 May 2008 |author=Fozia Azam |date=13 July 2007 | publisher = The Nation |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071009084010/http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/july-2007/13/nationalnews3.php |archive-date = 9 October 2007}}</ref> The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, a coalition of religious parties, claimed that between 400 and 1,000 students had been killed, along with women and children.<ref>{{Cite web |title=335 including 310 female students killed in overnight operation in Lal Masjid: Cleric |url=https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/print/335-including-310-female-students-killed-in-overnight-operation-in-lal-masjid-cleric |access-date=2025-12-11 |website=today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd}}</ref><ref name="nawaiwaqt">{{cite news|url = http://nawaiwaqt.com.pk/urdu/daily/july-2007/13/aham.php#2|access-date=10 May 2008 |date=13 July 2007| language=ur|title=Jamia Hafisa turned into ruins| publisher = Nawa-i-waqt |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928210612/http://nawaiwaqt.com.pk/urdu/daily/july-2007/13/aham.php#2 |archive-date = 28 September 2007}}</ref> Spanish-language news channels Univision, Antena 3, and Telecinco claimed that the total number of deaths in the siege was greater than 286 and could be as high as 300.<ref name="univision">{{cite news |url = http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?cid=1230286 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081025002012/http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?cid=1230286 |url-status = dead |archive-date = 25 October 2008 |title = Matanza en la Mezquita Roja de Islamabad |access-date = 10 May 2008 |language = es |date = 11 July 2007 |publisher = Univision }}</ref><ref name="telecinco">{{cite news|url = http://www.informativos.telecinco.es/pakistan/mezquita_roja/asalto/muertos/dn_50862.htm | title= La toma de la Mezquita Roja por parte del Ejército pakistaní causa 286 muertos|access-date=10 May 2008|date=11 July 2007 |language=es | publisher = Tele Cinco}}</ref>
The seventy bodies from the Lal Masjid were buried in a graveyard near Islamabad. To assist relatives in identifying and in claiming the bodies later, officials took photographs, fingerprints, and DNA samples from the bodies prior to their interment in temporary graves.<ref name="Aftermath of Red Mosque">{{cite web |date=11 July 2007 |title=Red Mosque cleric predicts 'Islamic revolution' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19722713 |access-date=11 July 2007 |publisher=NBC News}}</ref>
=== Damage to the complex === The damage to the mosque was extensive. The entrance hall was completely burned out, the ceiling scorched, and the red walls above the oval doorway blackened. However, the mosque itself sustained less damage than the Jamia Hafsa seminary. Bullet casings were found all over the mosque roof, and the inside of Lal Masjid was turned coal black. the minarets were completely destroyed.<ref name="Witte"/> The dome, however, was not damaged during the 36-hour battle.<ref name="Witte"/>
In the Jamia Hafsa complex, damage was extensive, with thousands of bullet holes in the courtyard. The basement was blackened from rockets.<ref name="Witte"/> The main buildings of the complex were structurally intact, but the boundary walls had been breached in several places. The building had bullet marks in its cement structure.<ref name="Witte"/> The two courtyards inside the school were filled with shattered glass and spent rounds. Piles of the girls' bed rolls and stacks of books were piled against walls.<ref name="Witte"/>
== Reactions == {{External media|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9QXHFIrSj8 Reactions to government action against mosque, security, voxpops (Uniform: Punjab Rangers).]}}
=== Pakistani Government === In a televised address to the nation, Musharraf declared that he was determined to eradicate extremism and terrorism and vowed that he would "''crush extremists throughout Pakistan and move against religious schools like those at the Lal Masjid and those that breed them''."<ref name="Aftermath of Red Mosque" /><ref>{{cite news|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6896179.stm |title = Musharraf vows war on militants|access-date=12 May 2008 |date=12 July 2007 | publisher = BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-07-13 |title=Musharraf Defends Raid That Ended Red Mosque Siege |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/13/world/asia/13pakistan.html |access-date=2007-07-13 |language=en}}</ref>
Information Minister Tariq Azim said that the Lal Masjid assault had sent a strong message that the government "''meant business''."<ref name="Aftermath of Red Mosque" />
=== Pakistani Military === Lieutenant General Jamshed Gulzar Kiani demanded inquiry into the assault on the mosque and claimed that white phosphorus bombs were used in the assault.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-11-02 |title=Jamshed Gulzar Kiani dies |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/328136/jamshed-gulzar-kiani-dies |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> In a later confirmation, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ijaz-ul-Haq stated that troops had indeed used phosphorus munitions during the military action.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Rehman |first=Mian Saifur |date=2007-07-27 |title=Phosphorus bombs used in Jamia Hafsa operation: Ejaz |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/65420-phosphorus-bombs-used-in-jamia-hafsa-operation-ejaz |access-date= |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}</ref>
Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Asad Durani In his book ''The Spy Chronicles,'' characterized the Lal Masjid operation as a "disaster," criticizing the authorities for its handling.<ref>Muhammad Saleh Zaafir, [https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/319527-former-isi-raw-chiefs-co-author-book Former ISI, RAW chiefs co-author book], The News, May 21, 2018</ref> He contends that the assault led to the burning of the complex and a significant loss of life, including many women and children.<ref name="Durani 2018 34"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-31 |title=Durrani's book is not a conspiracy but mere foolishness: Musharraf |url=http://www.brecorder.com/news/4606459 |access-date= |website=Brecorder |language=en}}</ref>
Lieutenant colonel Inamur Rahim claimed that Ghazi had agreed to the government's demands but was killed regardless during the operation.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjT08gXza-w |title=Shocking Stories Of Judges And Judiciary With Col. Inamur Rahim {{!}} Eon Podcast |date=2024-09-19 |last=Eon Podcast Reloaded |access-date= |via=YouTube}}</ref>
=== International === United States President George W. Bush gave his support to Musharraf as "''a strong ally in the war against these extremists''."<ref name="Bush supports Musharraf">{{cite news |author=Bill Van Auken |date=11 July 2007 |title=Mosque massacre: Washington's "war on terror" shakes Pakistan |url=http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jul2007/paki-j11.shtml |access-date=14 May 2008 |publisher=WSWS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bush pleased as Gen. Musharraf yields to U.S. pressure |url=https://www.workers.org/2007/world/pakistan-0719/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2015-10-24 |website=www.workers.org}}</ref>{{AI-retrieved source|date=March 2026|checked=no}} State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey noted that the militants had been given many warnings before the commandos moved on the Red Mosque. He said: "''The government of Pakistan has proceeded in a responsible way. All governments have a responsibility to preserve order''."<ref name="TRS">{{cite news |date=10 July 2007 |title=US backs Pakistan's storming of radical mosque |url=http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_backs_Pakistan_s_storming_of_rad_07102007.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904034504/http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_backs_Pakistan_s_storming_of_rad_07102007.html |archive-date=4 September 2008 |access-date=14 May 2008 |publisher=The Raw Story}}</ref>
Government of China backed Musharraf in his stand against Lal Masjid.<ref name="China backs Musharraf">{{cite news|url = http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200706/20070627/article_321184.htm|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201107/http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200706/20070627/article_321184.htm|url-status = dead|archive-date = 27 September 2007| title=China calls on Pakistan to better protect Chinese|access-date=13 May 2008 |date=27 June 2007 | publisher = Shanghai Daily}}</ref> The Chinese Minister of Public Security, Zhou Yongkang, referred explicitly to the Lal Masjid militants as terrorists and demanded that Pakistan act more forcefully to protect Chinese nationals working in the country.<ref name="China backs Musharraf" />
Bryan David Hunt, of the United States' consulate in Lahore, was quoted as saying that the U.S. government supported the Pakistani government and that "the ''militants were given many warnings but instead of surrendering they decided to fight and challenge the writ of government''."<ref name="US1" /> Hunt also said that the U.S. fully supported Pakistan in their war on terror and considers Pakistan "their closest ally in South Asia."<ref name="US1">{{cite news | url = http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/July07/12/10.htm | title = Lal Masjid operation will help Pak-US alliance: Hunt|access-date=13 May 2008|date=12 July 2007 | publisher = Pakistan Link |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927215343/http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/July07/12/10.htm |archive-date = 27 September 2007}}</ref> Religious parties and figures criticised the support extended by the U.S. consular official and demanded that the government expel him for interfering in Pakistan's internal affairs. A Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam characterized the U.S. consulate official's statement as contrary to diplomatic norms, and open interference in the country's internal affairs. She said a protest would be lodged.<ref name="DawnUSEnvoy">{{cite news| url = https://www.dawn.com/news/256008/us-envoy | title = US envoy's remarks criticized | publisher = The Dawn}}</ref>
The European Union President, José Manuel Barroso, issued a statement that it "''supports the Government of Pakistan in the defense of the rule of law and the writ of the State against the threat posed by such armed radical groups in the context of the fight against extremism''."<ref name="EU">{{cite news |date=6 July 2007 |title=EU Presidency Statement on the Lal Masjid Crisis |url=http://www.ambafra-pk.org/article.php3?id_article=1190 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223223430/http://www.ambafra-pk.org/article.php3?id_article=1190 |archive-date=23 February 2009 |access-date=13 May 2008 |publisher=French Embassy in Pakistan}}</ref> The EU also praised the "''restraint and moderation showed by the Pakistani authorities''."<ref name="EU" />
Al-Qaeda's Osama bin Laden issued a videotape titled "Come to Jihad,". In the message, bin Laden stated that "''twenty years after the soil of Pakistan soaked up the blood of one of the greatest jihadi fighters, the Imam Abdallah Azzam, today Pakistan is witness to the death of another great Muslim, Imam Abdul al-Rashid Ghazi and we in al-Qaida call on Allah to witness that we will retaliate for the blood of Imam Abdul al-Rashid Ghazi.<ref>N. Elahi, ''Terrorism in Pakistan: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Challenge to Security'', Bloomsbury Publishing (2019), p. 101</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite news |date=2007-09-20 |title=Bin Laden urges Pakistan holy war |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7005140.stm |access-date= |work=BBC Worldwide |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Siddique |first=Haroon |date=2007-09-20 |title=Bin Laden urges uprising against Musharraf |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/sep/20/alqaida.pakistan |access-date= |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>'' his second-in-command, al-Zawahiri, also issued a videotape, calling for Pakistanis to join jihad in revenge for the attack by the Pakistan's Army on the mosque.<ref name="Al Qaeda reacts to Red Mosque">{{cite news |date=12 July 2007 |title=Al-Qaida: Wage Holy War Against Pakistan |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3367353 |access-date=11 May 2008 |publisher=ABC News}}</ref> Al-Zawahiri's four-minute address was titled "''The Aggression against Lal Masjid'' " and dedicated solely to the clash between the Lal Masjid and the Pakistan Army. The video was released by al-Qaeda's media wing as-Sahab and subtitled in English.<ref name="Al Qaeda reacts to Red Mosque" />
The PML-N general secretary in exile stated that Pervez Musharraf was responsible for the country's difficult situation, citing the military operations in Bajaur, Waziristan, and Lal Masjid as misguided.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-08-25 |title=Sharifs invited to land in Peshawar |url=http://www.brecorder.com/news/3427623 |access-date= |website=Brecorder |language=en}}</ref>
=== Media === The Dawn supported the government's actions against Lal Masjid but questioned "how the intelligence agencies failed to get wind of the goings-on in the Lal Masjid and the stockpiling of arms and ammunition in such large quantities."<ref name="Pak News Editorials">{{cite news |date=12 July 2007 |title=Pakistan press on mosque assault |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6290594.stm |access-date=13 May 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
The ''Daily Times'' also supported the government's position and added: "''Let us be clear. No government can violate the universal principle of 'no negotiation with terrorists' and live to be praised''."<ref name="Pak News Editorials" /> ''The News'' was more critical, stating: "Once 'Operation Silence' is over, the firing stops, the dust settles down and the bodies are counted, there are bound to be many questions raised. Why didn't the government take action earlier against the clerics because had that been the case so many lives would not have been lost? Why were the Lal Masjid elements allowed so much leeway that the complex became almost like a state within a state, complete with a moral policing force which acted with impunity enforcing a rigid interpretation of Islam on the city's residents? How did so many hardened militants, reportedly some foreigners among them, make their way inside the compound situated in the heart of Islamabad?".<ref name="Pak News Editorials" />
''The Post'' was worried about how the episode would affect Pakistan: "''This is going to ratchet up religious sentiments, and could lead to increased polarization between the moderates and extremists in the country, the former including General Musharraf under the banner of 'enlightened moderation'.''"<ref name="Pak News Editorials" />
''The Islam'' newspaper criticized the government, stating: "''The government cannot absolve itself of the tragedy. If it wanted, the matter could have been resolved at the start. But this was not done and, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, our own security forces not only bombarded a mosque and religious seminary, but also brought in armored personnel carriers, tanks and helicopter gunships in numbers that made you wonder. This shows that all this activity was masterminded by some Satanic minds. This incident is tragic, shameful and dangerous. How much it has harmed the country and the nation, and how worse an impact it will leave on the country on the future, can at this point only be imagined''."<ref name="Pak News Editorials" />
''Nawa-i-Waqt'' wrote in its editorial: "''The entire nation is drowned in shock and grief today. They are mourning the brute use of force. Now we need a comprehensive inquiry over the operation against the Red Mosque. The report should be made public so that the people can know the actual facts''."<ref name="Pak News Editorials" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-12 |title=سانحہ جامعہ حفصہ و لال مسجد کا لہو اور جنرل(ر) مشرف |url=http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/mazamine/12-Jul-2010/106985 |access-date= |website=Nawaiwaqt |language=ur}}</ref>
The ''Ausaf'' daily countered, "''The entire nation is grieving{{nbsp}}... only the United States wanted what happened and proof of that is that the storming operation was celebrated at the White House and Pentagon rather than at General Musharraf's headquarters''."<ref>{{cite news |date=12 July 2007 |title=Press urges Red Mosque inquiry |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6294794.stm |access-date=13 May 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
The ''Pakistan Observer'' praised the government: "''The Government deserves credit for showing remarkable tolerance and patience and exhausted all possible avenues for peaceful settlement of the nerve-shattering crisis''".<ref name="Pak News Editorials" />
The president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, said, "''This issue could have been resolved through negotiations but General Musharraf intentionally spilled the blood of innocent people to please his foreign masters''."<ref name="Aftermath of Red Mosque" />
== Aftermath == {{See also|July 2007 Pakistan bombings|Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}} The siege gave hardliners in Pakistan a rallying point, as well as generating new martyrs (i.e. volunteers to commit suicide bombings) and prompting Al-Qaeda, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and the Taliban to launch retaliation attacks in Pakistan. In the next five months suicide bombers committed 56 attacks killing 2729 Pakistanis.<ref name="DSWW-376">{{Cite book |last=Scroggins |first=Deborah |author1-link=Deborah Scroggins |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQEHOTzZcXEC |title=Wanted Women: Faith, Lies, and the War on Terror: The Lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui |date=17 January 2012 |publisher=Harper Collins |isbn=9780062097958 |page=376 |language=en |ref=DSWW2012}}</ref> This event also broke the "long standing alliance" between the Deobandi jihadists and the Pakistani military.<ref name="DSWW-376" /> [[File:Fatalities_in_Terrorist_Violence_in_Pakistan.png|thumb|Graph depicting a sharp increase in militant violence in Pakistan beginning in 2007, following the siege.]] The first attack after the operation against the mosque was on 12 July 2007; two suicide attacks killed six people in northwest Pakistan.<ref name="Aftermath of Red Mosque" /> Another 28 soldiers were killed when a suicide attacker struck a military convoy in Waziristan near the Afghan border on 14 July.<ref name="Nelson">{{cite news |author=Dean Nelson |date=15 July 2007 |title=Bin Laden's deputy behind the Red Mosque bloodbath |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2076013.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140123062038/http://web.archive.org/web/20070820063019/www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2076013.ece |archive-date=23 January 2014 |access-date=11 May 2008 |work=The Times |location=London}}</ref>
According to journalist Deborah Scroggins, the storming of the masjid<blockquote>''became a turning point for Pakistan.{{nbsp}}... Many of the militant Pakistanis in Waziristan and on the border with Kashmir had had young relative in the shattered mosque, and they began attacking the army in revenge''.<ref name=DSWW-376/></blockquote>
=== Controversy over authorization === According to a November, 2010, report in The News International, which cited a retired military official at General Headquarters (GHQ), the planning for the operation was conducted by General Tariq Majid, under the direct instructions of President Pervez Musharraf.<ref name=":10"/> The same sources claimed that the GHQ and its Military Operations Directorate were not involved in the planning process.<ref name=":15"/> The report further stated that following the death of Haroon-ul-Islam, the first SSG casualty in the siege, Musharraf convened a meeting of top military authorities. In this meeting, he expressed his determination that a full-fledged military operation must be carried out. A senior GHQ official present at the meeting reportedly advised against this course of action, urging Musharraf to reconsider due to the potential for significant loss of life and suggesting that an option to surrender be offered to those inside the mosque complex. Despite this counsel, sources alleged that Musharraf dismissed the concerns and subsequently assigned the operation to military without formal clearance from the GHQ or JS HQ.<ref name=":15" /> According to another report citing an anonymous retired general, the decision to launch the military operation was made unilaterally by President Pervez Musharraf, overcoming internal resistance.<ref name=":10" /> The general further claimed that the action was executed by the X Corps and the IV Corps under General Tariq Majeed, utilizing the 111th Infantry Brigade and the Special Service Group (SSG), and was conducted without consulting the Army's General Headquarters or the Directorate of Military Operations.<ref name=":10" />
Subsequent revelations by former federal ministers indicated that the decision to launch the operation was made without seeking cabinet approval. The cabinet reportedly remained uninformed about both the planning and execution of the military action.<ref name="Asad"/>
=== Demolition of Jamia Hafsa === On July 26, 2007, the Jamia Hafsa seminary and an adjacent children's library were demolished by authorities after being declared structurally unsafe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raza |first=Syed Irfan |date=2007-07-24 |title=Operation to demolish Jamia Hafsa begins |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/257813/operation-to-demolish-jamia-hafsa-begins |access-date=2007-07-24 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref> The decision followed an assessment by the National Engineering Services of Pakistan and the Pakistan Engineering Council, which found the buildings had sustained heavy damage during the conflict. The Lal Masjid mosque itself was not demolished.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raza |first=Syed Irfan |date=2007-07-26 |title=Jamia Hafsa, children's library razed |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/258126/jamia-hafsa-children-s-library-razed |access-date=2012-08-13 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-07-23 |title=Pakistan to demolish part of Red Mosque complex |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-07-23/pakistan-to-demolish-part-of-red-mosque-complex/2511036 |access-date=2011-06-21 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref>
In 2011, an agreement was signed between the Islamabad Administration and the management of Lal Masjid. The agreement allocated 20 kanals of land in Islamabad's Sector H-11 for the construction of Jamia Hafsa, as compensation for its previous madrassa building, which had been demolished.'''<ref name=":32">{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Hasnaat |date=2016-08-25 |title=Jamia Hafsa rebuilding: Govt presents relocation agreement before SC |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1170081/jamia-hafsa-rebuilding-govt-presents-relocation-agreement-sc |access-date=2021-10-24 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref>'''
=== Reopening of Mosque === The mosque was repaired by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and officially reopened for congregational prayers in October 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lal Masjid re-opened on Pak SC order |url=https://im.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/03masjid.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date= |website=im.rediff.com}}</ref>{{AI-retrieved source|date=March 2026|checked=no}} As part of the initial repairs, the CDA altered the building's appearance by adopting a beige and white color scheme and lowering its fortified boundary walls.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-15 |title=Renovation of Lal Masjid starts |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/256477/renovation-of-lal-masjid-starts |access-date=2007-07-15 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mosque Re-opens2">{{cite news |date=24 July 2007 |title=Lal Masjid to reopen in time for Friday prayers |url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=9194 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212800/http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=9194 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |access-date=10 May 2008 |publisher=Daily Times (Pakistan)}}</ref> A second, more extensive renovation was carried out in 2009 by Bahria Town, which restored the mosque and implemented a new design.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=umer.nangiana |date=2010-07-16 |title=Lal Masjid is still red three years on |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/28404/lal-masjid-is-still-red-three-years-on |access-date=2010-09-15 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref>
=== 2008 Bombing === {{Main|Lal Masjid suicide bombing}}
On 6 July 2008, at 7:50 pm local time, a bomb exploded near Lal Masjid killing 18 policemen and a civilian. Pakistani officials claim that the bombing, which occurred on the first anniversary of the siege, was a revenge attack and the work of a 30-year-old suicide bomber.<ref name="Pak terror reminder: 18 dead in Lal Masjid blast">{{cite news |date=7 July 2008 |title=Pak terror reminder: 18 dead in Lal Masjid blast |url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/pak-terror-reminder-18-dead-in-lal-masjid-blast/68417-2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828080929/http://www.ibnlive.com/news/pak-terror-reminder-18-dead-in-lal-masjid-blast/68417-2.html |archive-date=28 August 2008 |access-date=6 July 2008 |work=Press Trust of India |publisher=ibnlive.com}}</ref>
=== Release of Imam === On 16 April 2009, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the release of the mosque's chief cleric, Mawlana Abdul Aziz, who subsequently resumed his preaching duties at the mosque.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2021-09-20 |title=Lal Masjid: Why Maulana Abdul Aziz Remains Untouchable |url=https://thefridaytimes.com/20-Sep-2021/lal-masjid-why-maulana-abdul-aziz-remains-untouchable |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=The Friday Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite news |last=Walsh |first=Declan |date=17 April 2009 |title=Red Mosque siege leader walks free to hero's welcome |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/17/red-mosque-pakistan-cleric-bail |access-date=14 November 2010 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
=== Al Jazeera documentary === {{External media|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrKEaOeZs2o Inside the Red Mosque (Al Jazeera English).]}}
In August 2007, Al Jazeera English aired a documentary titled Witness- Inside the Red Mosque, featuring reporter Rageh Omaar. The film was nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2008.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=Inside the Red Mosque |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/video/witness/2009/6/18/inside-the-red-mosque |access-date=2011-11-13 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Triplett |first=William |date=2008-08-13 |title=Al Jazeera English earns Emmy noms |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990498?refcatid=1983 |access-date=2011-11-13 |work=Variety}}</ref>
== Legal Proceedings ==
=== Supreme Court Suo motu notice === On 16 August 2007, acting on a ''suo motu'' notice, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took up the extrajudicial killings of the people at the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa complex. Performance of the Islamabad administration attracted the reprimand of the court for its slow pace. The court was informed that 61 students were in custody, of whom 39 were on bailable offences. The Chief Justice of Pakistan ordered immediate release of 20 people considered innocent, as recommended by a joint investigation team. National Crisis Management Cell Director Javed Iqbal Cheema told the court that 28 DNA tests had not been confirmed. The Chief Justice also pointed out that Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ali had stated that 30 bodies remained unidentified.<ref>{{cite news |title=Destruction of evidence annoys apex court: Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa case |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/261837/destruction-of-evidence-annoys-apex-court-lal-masjid-jamia-hafsa-case |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927233558/http://www.dawn.com/2007/08/18/top3.htm |archive-date=27 September 2007 |access-date=2 June 2008 |publisher=The Dawn}}</ref>
=== Ghazi Murder Case === In September 2013, a first information report (FIR) was registered against Pervez Musharraf by Islamabad High Court for his role in the siege and the assassination of Abdul Rashid Ghazi.<ref>{{cite news |date=2 September 2013 |title=Pakistani police investigate Musharraf in mosque raid |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2013/09/02/pakistani-police-investigate-musharraf-mosque-raid/mclTe25pC43rwpR4SIKj7O/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217183804/http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2013/09/02/pakistani-police-investigate-musharraf-mosque-raid/mclTe25pC43rwpR4SIKj7O/story.html |archive-date=17 December 2014 |newspaper=The Boston Globe}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New murder charge brought against Musharraf |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2013/9/2/new-murder-charge-brought-against-musharraf |access-date=2014-11-09 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>
In October 2013, Musharraf was arrested, days after being bailed on other charges, for being personally responsible for ordering the siege.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Amjad Ali |first1=Syed Raza Hassan |date=10 October 2013 |title=Pakistan rearrests ex-president Musharraf over Red Mosque deaths |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-musharraf/pakistan-rearrests-ex-president-musharraf-over-red-mosque-deaths-idUSBRE9990MI20131010 |access-date=25 September 2017 |work=Reuters}}</ref>
In February 2016, a local courts judge issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Musharraf for his 'deliberate' absence from the proceedings of the murder case of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Asad |first1=Malik |date=21 February 2016 |title=Lal Masjid case: Non-bailable arrest warrants for Musharraf issued again |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1240894 |access-date=25 September 2017 |work=Dawn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-10-27 |title=Lal Masjid case: Lawyers form group to tackle Musharraf |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/623127/lal-masjid-case-lawyers-form-group-to-tackle-musharraf |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref>
=== Supreme Court Commission === In 2012, the Supreme Court of Pakistan established a judicial commission to investigate the siege. The commission's mandate was to examine the legality of the military action and the high number of civilian casualties, including the death of Abdul Rashid Ghazi.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2012-12-04 |title=SC forms judicial commission to probe Lal Masjid operation |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/768859/sc-forms-judicial-commission-to-probe-lal-masjid-operation |access-date= |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was formed to oversee the case.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-04-20 |title=Musharraf held responsible for Lal Masjid operation |url=https://nation.com.pk/20-Apr-2013/musharraf-held-responsible-for-lal-masjid-operation |access-date= |website=The Nation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=azam.khan |date=2012-12-05 |title=Five years on …: Lal Masjid controversy rises from the dead |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/475409/five-years-on-%e2%80%a6-lal-masjid-controversy-rises-from-the-dead |access-date= |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Hasnaat |date=2015-09-27 |title=Lal Masjid commission report: Govt reluctant to declassify 'sensitive' documents |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/963551/lal-majid-commission-report-govt-reluctant-to-declassify-sensitive-documents |access-date=2015-09-27 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == * Waco siege, similar event in the United States * Operation Blue Star, similar event in India * Battle of Rafah (2009), similar event in Gaza Strip * Grand Mosque seizure, similar event in Saudi Arabia * August 2013 Rabaa massacre, similar event in Egypt * Memali Incident, similar event in the Malaysia
== Notes == {{notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{cite news|title=A chronology of Lal Masjid saga|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/255802|work=Dawn|date=11 July 2007}} *{{cite news|last1=Zahid Hussain|first1=Ziad Zafar|title=The legacy of Lal Masjid|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1345068|work=Dawn|date=9 July 2017}} *{{cite book|last1=Khuram Iqbal|first1=Adam Dolnik|title=Negotiating the Siege of Lal Masjid|date=9 March 2017|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199400348|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EZHpjwEACAAJ}}
== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100804033812/http://www.thelalmasjid.com/ Lal Masjid Official WebSite] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928034456/http://www.jamiah-hafsa.com/ Jamia Hafsa Official WebSite]
{{Portal bar|Pakistan|Islam}}{{Lal Masjid, Islamabad|state=collapsed}}{{Islamabad}} {{Authority control}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Siege of Lal Masjid}} Category:Mosque massacres in Asia Category:Massacres in religious buildings and structures Category:Attacks on Islamic buildings and structures Category:Religious building bombings in Pakistan Category:Attacks on mosques in Pakistan Category:Attacks on schools in Pakistan Category:Attacks on madrasas Lal Masjid Category:Private armies Category:Religious paramilitary organizations Operation Sunrise Category:Pakistan military scandals Category:Military operations of the insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Category:Pervez Musharraf Category:Government of Shaukat Aziz Category:Building and structure arson attacks in Asia Category:Burned buildings and structures in Pakistan Category:2007 in Pakistan Category:Battles in 2007 Category:2000s sieges Category:2000s in Islamabad Category:Massacres in 2007 Category:July 2007 in Pakistan Category:2007 fires in Asia Category:2007 in Pakistani politics Category:Conflicts in 2007 Category:Arson in 2007 Category:21st-century mass murders in Pakistan Category:Attacks on mosques in the 2000s Category:Punjab Rangers Category:Arson in Pakistan Category:Religiously motivated violence Category:Mosque arson in Asia Category:Islamism in Pakistan Category:Islamic fundamentalism