Siege of Lal Masjid

The siege of Lal Masjid (}}; code-named Operation Sunrise also known as Operation Silence) was an armed confrontation in July 2007 between a Islamist fundamentalist private militia and the government of Pakistan, led by president Pervez Musharraf and prime minister Shaukat Aziz. The focal points of the operation were the Lal Masjid ("Red Mosque") and the Jamia Hafsa madrasah complex in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Lal Masjid had been operated by two brothers, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid, while the adjacent Jamia Hafsa madrasah been operated by Umme Hassan. They advocated the imposition of Sharia (Islamic religious law) in Pakistan and openly called for the overthrow of the Pakistani government. Lal Masjid was in constant conflict with authorities of Islamabad for 18 months prior to the military operation. They engaged in violent demonstrations, destruction of property, kidnapping and arson. After a combination of events such as Jamia Hafsa vigilantes taking hostage the Chinese massage parlor's workers and militia members setting fire to the Ministry of Environment building and attacking the Army Rangers who guarded it, the military responded, and the siege of the Lal Masjid complex began. The military response was the result of not only pressure from locals but also diplomatic pressure from China and the United States.

The complex was besieged from 3 to 11 July 2007 and was eventually stormed and captured by the Pakistan Army's Special Service Group. The government reported that the operation resulted in 154 deaths, and the capture of 50 militia members.

The siege had profound and lasting consequences for Pakistan. In its aftermath, The Taliban and their affiliated tribal militant groups in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakthunkhwa renounced the Waziristan Accord, a ten-month-old peace agreement with the Pakistani government. Following the siege, a wave of militancy and violence swept the country. This began the same month with a event known as the July bombings, the ensuing violence caused over 4,000 casualties in 2008. historians often cite the siege as the catalyst for the intensification of the War in North-West Pakistan. Regarded as one of the longest urban battles in Pakistan's history, the event has also been likened by historians to both the Waco siege and Operation Blue Star.

The siege became a highly controversial event, even within military circles. Senior generals like Jamshed Gulzar Kiani and Asad Durrani criticized the government's handling of the operation, claiming the use of unnecessary force led to a significant loss of life. Meanwhile, officials within GHQ claimed the operation was planned by Tariq Majid under the direct orders of Pervez Musharraf, deliberately sidestepping and without getting the approval for the operation by the Army's General Headquarters and Directorate of Military Operations. The decision was so centralized that, as former federal ministers later confirmed, it was made without consulting the Cabinet of Pakistan. Provided by Wikipedia