On March 4, 2025, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) conducted a demolition operation targeting unauthorized structures of the newly constructed Jamia Hafsa seminary affiliated with Islamabad’s Lal Masjid. This action followed the deployment of over 150 police officers around Lal Masjid in Sector G-6 to restrict movement, prompted by threats from cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz, who had called for an anti-government movement and displayed automatic weapons. During the operation, Maulana Aziz and his followers remained cooperative and refrained from sharing footage on social media. He accused the government of violating terms, claiming they had sought a ‘face-saving’ by agreeing to release his wife, Ume Hassan, in exchange for the demolition of certain seminary structures.
This incident is part of a longstanding conflict between the Pakistani government and Lal Masjid. In 2007, a military operation known as “Operation Silence” was conducted to neutralize armed militants within the mosque, resulting in significant casualties and deepening political tensions.
Subsequently, in 2012, the administration allotted a 20-kanal plot in Sector H-11 to the mosque’s management for rebuilding Jamia Hafsa, following demands from the cleric.
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Despite these efforts, disputes over land allocation and the mosque’s administration have persisted, leading to periodic confrontations, including the recent demolition.
