ISLAMABAD April 8: President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain undertook what appeared to be a reconciliation process by holding a meeting with the heads of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa on Saturday night. However, no progress was reported as the two brothers stuck to their stand about enforcement of ‘Sharia’.

Minister of State for Information Tariq Azim Khan said: “The meeting ended on a positive note as both sides agreed to resolve the issue peacefully.”

Talking to party leaders after the meeting, Chaudhry Shujaat expressed optimism about success of his initiative and said it had been agreed that the contacts would continue till a solution to the crisis was found.

The two religious institutions are headed by brothers Maulana Abdul Aziz and Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi.

Maulana Ghazi told media persons after the meeting that the Lal Masjid administration was not ready to budge an inch from its demands.

He stressed the need for restoration of the sanctity of the mosque and seminary and providing safety to their visitors and inmates. He said everyone was obliged to respect the law.

He said the PML president had been told that certain cabinet members had been instrumental in making the situation worse through their statements.

Mr Ghazi said Mr Hussain had been told in plain words that peace could not be ensured in the federal capital if the government refused to accept the demands of the seminary’s students.

“We have never refused to hold negotiations; the government side’s attitude has caused all the problems,” he said.

Maulana Aziz said: “The government will solely be reasonable if an operation is launched against Lal Masjid.”

He said the mosque’s administration had time and again made several recommendations but the government had started demolishing mosques, which caused the trouble.

Maulana Ghazi said it had been made clear on the PML president that the main objective of the protest by the students was to defend the religious institutions against demolition and disrespect.

Their major demand was to end vulgarity and all of the demands were just and within the parameters of Islamic teachings, he said, adding that he and his colleagues did not intend to establish a parallel government.

Chaudhry Shujaat agreed with the opinion of the two brothers and assured them of removing their reservations and apprehensions regarding protection of mosques and seminaries.

He stressed the need for settling the issue through negotiations and avoiding violence.

The two sides agreed to continue talks and said doors would not be closed to peaceful means of reconciliation.