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Pakistan seminary students held More tension in mosque stand-off
(about 10 hours later)
About 40 Islamic students have been detained amid continuing tension over two policemen being held hostage at a mosque in the Pakistani capital. Radical Islamic students in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, kidnapped three more policemen on Monday before releasing them a short while later.
Officials say the students are being held to stop them from going to the Red Mosque in Islamabad to support those who seized the policemen on Friday. The incident was the latest high-profile incident confrontation between the police and the students.
Students linked to the city's Red Mosque kidnapped four policemen on Friday, but two were later released.
The kidnappings come in the face of a possible operation against the mosque and its associated seminaries.
'Illegal detention'
The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad says that the policemen kidnapped in the latest incident on Monday afternoon were part of a mobile patrol that was stormed by students from the Jamia Fradia seminary that is attached to the Red Mosque.
Our correspondent says that the two sets of kidnappings in the heart of the Pakistani capital are another serious challenge to President Musharraf's authority.
Eye witnesses say that while the officer in charge managed to escape, two junior officers and a constable were dragged off to the confines of the madrassa, which is located in an up-market part of the city.
Maulana Ghazi says they will not back down
The madrassa administration is currently negotiating with the authorities over what they say is the "illegal detention" of their students.
On Sunday, about 40 Islamic students were detained amid continuing tension over the two policemen still being held hostage at the mosque.
Officials said the students are being held to stop them from going to the Red Mosque to support those who seized the policemen on Friday.
Two of a group of kidnapped policemen were released on Saturday.Two of a group of kidnapped policemen were released on Saturday.
Clerics say the remaining ones will be released in exchange for several students being held for some months. 'Intercepted'
The Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) mosque and a seminary attached to it has campaigned for strict Islamic law to be enforced in Pakistan. Clerics said the remaining ones would be released in exchange for several students being held for some months.
Threats The Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) mosque and two seminaries, one for men and one for women, attached to it have campaigned for strict Islamic law to be enforced in Pakistan.
The mosque is at the centre of the standoff
Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying that some people were "intercepted" to stop them from going to the Red Mosque.Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying that some people were "intercepted" to stop them from going to the Red Mosque.
"The government is not planning any operations against the seminary or the mosque," Mr Cheema told Reuters."The government is not planning any operations against the seminary or the mosque," Mr Cheema told Reuters.
"We will not let things get out of control. They are not enemies, but our own people, and we hope this will be settled through dialogue," he said."We will not let things get out of control. They are not enemies, but our own people, and we hope this will be settled through dialogue," he said.
Maulana Ghazi says they will not back down
Mr Cheema said the detained students were expected to be freed later, but did not give any details.Mr Cheema said the detained students were expected to be freed later, but did not give any details.
A defiant Maulana Abdul Aziz, chief cleric of the mosque, threatened "jihad" or holy war if the authorities raided the mosque.A defiant Maulana Abdul Aziz, chief cleric of the mosque, threatened "jihad" or holy war if the authorities raided the mosque.
Reuters reported Maulana Aziz as saying, "We are ready to fight, we are ready to die, but we will not back down."Reuters reported Maulana Aziz as saying, "We are ready to fight, we are ready to die, but we will not back down."
On Saturday, dozens of students from the Lal Masjid seminary seized the four policemen and took them inside, demanding the release of 11 students detained by intelligence agents.On Saturday, dozens of students from the Lal Masjid seminary seized the four policemen and took them inside, demanding the release of 11 students detained by intelligence agents.
After a judge released three seminary students, whom mosque officials said had been illegally detained by Pakistani intelligence agents, two of the abducted policemen were set free.
Taleban-style court
A cleric at the seminary, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, said the four policemen were taken in as they were outside the Lal Masjid in violation of an agreement with authorities that police would not be deployed there.
He said the other two policemen would be released soon.
The mosque is at the centre of the standoff
Chief cleric Abdul Aziz announced in April that a Taleban-style Islamic court would be set up to curb "vulgar" activities.
He also demanded that the government close video shops and brothels.
Female students from the mosque seized a woman in March alleging she ran a brothel. She was later freed unharmed.
Critics of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf say he has not done enough to act against pro-Taleban Islamic hardliners in Pakistan.