In his last interview to a TV channel on Tuesday morning, Lal Masjid deputy cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi said his death was certain and criticised “political maulanas” for their role in the Lal Masjid saga. What could probably be seen with a feeling a foreboding, he said his people would avenge his assassination.
Speaking to various news channels through his cell phone from the besieged compound, Ghazi said the students holed up inside only had 14 Kalashnikovs, thereby rejecting the government’s claim that there were rocket launchers and piles of ammunition hidden there. He added that he had been inviting the media to the mosque so that it could ascertain the facts; something that the government did not let happen.
Earlier in the morning after the commandos had entered the mosque, Ghazi told ‘Times Now’, an online service, “The Pakistan government wanted me to bow and accept defeat.” However, warning the government that the people would avenge his death, he reportedly said they could kill him.
He further said: “The people of Pakistan must remove Pervez Musharraf as President. He is responsible for all the problems of Pakistan.” Ghazi claimed that
his mother had been killed in the attack.
A short while later, he said troops had entered the compound of the Lal Masjid and were under fire from the militants inside.
Calling the USA the present ‘rulers’, he said the entire operation was done to appease America.
“This is my last chance to say anything, and I would like to say that we have fought with courage. We were asked to bow before the powers-that-be, but we refused to do so,” Ghazi told a private news channel. “We will fight till martyrdom and the people will take revenge from the rulers,” he said.
Mentioning religious affairs minister Ejazul Haq, he said the minister had threatened and tried to intimidate him. Ghazi said: “I said to Ch. Shujaat: ‘Kill us, but people will not allow you live in peace’.”
Ghazi added, “The ulema expressed fear and they did not take any stand; they should have sided with the truth.”
The cleric said: “We did not commit any crime for which we are being punished so tremendously; the government is using naked aggression with reckless blind force against us.”
“We resisted for eight days with merely 14 Kalashnikovs,” Maulana said.
Commenting on the Silence Operation against him, Maulana Rashid said, “This is gross injustice; the people conducting the operation are American agents,” adding, “Now I am sure that I will be martyred soon.”
Giving his message, Maulana Ghazi said, “The prevalent system wherein some families have the power is creating problems and making everybody miserable,” adding, “These problems will stay unresolved until the Islamic system is established.”
Later, he called a TV channel and said: “The commandos have reached my room.” Those were his last words before the telephone went silent.
