The government has re-opened the Jamia Faridia madrassa following a deal with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman, a senior Islamabad Capital Territory official said on Sunday.He denied the government had reached any agreement with the Lal Masjid administration before opening the madrassa late on Saturday night.
Lal Masjid deputy cleric Amir Siddique also said no agreement had been reached with the government for the opening of the madrassa, which was closed in July 2007. He added, however, that the government had a few reservations, which he claimed had been addressed through dialogue.
"The government had demanded that we reduce the number of madrassa students ... we considered their demand and agreed to it," Siddique said. He said political pressure had convinced the government to open the madrassa.
He denied that Jamia Hafsa -- a madarassa for female students adjacent to Lal Masjid -- would be rebuilt at an alternative site. "The Lal Masjid administration will never allow the madrassa's relocation."
Siddique said the mosque administration and madrassa students demanded the government release their former chief cleric Abdul Aziz before Ramazan.