Pakistan grants bail to detained hard-line cleric

Mercury News ^ | 4/15/09 | ZARAR KHAN , AP

[blueplum]

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the release on bail Monday of a hard-line cleric who had been detained since shortly before soldiers stormed his mosque in 2007, killing scores of people and energizing the country's Islamist insurgency. Maulana Abdul Aziz was granted bail while the court considers the charges against him in relation to the siege of the Red Mosque in the capital, Islamabad, his lawyer Shaukat Siddiqui told reporters outside the court. Prosecutors were not available for comment.

Aziz was arrested as he tried to sneak out of the mosque dressed in an all-covering burqa worn by some Muslim women.

Several days later, security forces stormed the mosque and adjoining buildings after scores of heavily armed militants inside refused to surrender. The government says 102 people, including 11 security personnel, were killed in the standoff.

Aziz is facing a raft of charges ranging from abetting terrorists to illegally occupying a building.

Pakistan has a history of failing to successfully prosecute militants, many of whom are believed to have once had links with the country's armed forces.

The siege triggered anger among Pakistani Islamists, and suicide bombings and other attacks on the government and security forces picked up pace in the months afterward. They have continued since then...

[chuck_the_tv_out]

“energizing the country’s Islamist insurgency”

sounds like someone’s opinion to me

[rbg81]

When are we going to stop pretending that Pakistan is a real country? Its a failed state with nukes.

[DHC-2]

I wonder when Obama is going to bomb Pakistan, didn’t he promise he would? (Oh I almost forgot, every statement he makes has an expiration date ... let me check ... yep, its out of date. Next subject)