 Pakistan's religious affairs minister has said foreign Islamic militants are among those inside a besieged mosque in the capital, Islamabad.
| "Whut? Whut? Furriners? Sniffin' around our wimmin's madrassah?" |
Ejaz-ul-Haq said "terrorists... wanted within and outside Pakistan" are fighting the army, which has surrounded the Lal Masjid since last Tuesday.
"How far outside Pakistan?"
"They have the death sentence on 12 systems!" |
An army commander was shot dead by students inside the mosque on Sunday. The mosque's leader, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, said he and his followers would commit suicide rather than surrender.
| Go ahead. Any time you're ready. |
At least 20 people have been killed since the stand-off began. Mr Ghazi told the BBC as many as 1,800 followers remain in the Lal Masjid mosque, although this cannot be verified.
| "No. Wait. Make that 18 thousand followers! Ha ha! We got 18 thousand followers in here, all ready to blow themselves up! We got kilotons of arms and ammunition! An' we're ready to use 'em! Why? Because youse attacked us and we wudn't doin' nuttin'!" |
'Surrender or die'
Speaking at a news conference, Mr ul-Haq said up to 250 militants - including foreign radicals - were leading the fighting. He said between two and five of them were wanted in connection with "high-profile cases".
| "Between two and five of them" is probably the equivalent of "three or four of them." But we're trying to follow the logic of a mind trained in Islamic jurisprudence, so it could also mean "12" or "yellow." |
The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan, who is in Islamabad, says there are reports that militants from an outlawed radical Muslim organisation, Jaish-e-Mohammad, are in actual control inside the mosque.
| That's the ISI at work. It certainly wouldn't be that nice Professor Ghazi. And even if it's Jaish snuffies, they're really just pawn in the hands of the Heathen Hindoo™. |
Members of the group have been involved in several failed attempts on the life of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, and it has also been linked to al-Qaeda.
| "But not to that nice Perfessor Ghazi. Certainly not." |
On Saturday, President Musharraf told the students they had no option but to surrender. "We have been patient. I want to say to the ones who have been left inside: they should come out and surrender, and if they don't, I am saying this here and now: they will be killed," he said.
| "Unless someone can talk me out of it. Has anyone talked me out of it yet? Why not?" |
More than 1,000 supporters left last week under mounting pressure from security forces, although only about 20 have left since Friday.
No power
The commander who died on Sunday was in charge of an operation to blow holes in the mosque compound walls to enable civilians to escape. Water and power to the mosque have been cut off and food is said to be getting scarce. Our correspondent says he has heard intermittent gunfire in the area and the boom of heavy weapons. An increased military presence on the streets, combined with the refusal to let a delegation of Islamic figures through to the mosque, suggests that the government is now closing the door to negotiation, our correspondent adds. |