Students protest at reopening of Red Mosque

Hundreds of religious students protested today at Islamabad’s Red Mosque and blocked Pakistan’s government-appointed cleric from leading prayers at its planned reopening, more than two weeks after a bloody army siege left more than 100 dead.

The protesters demanded the return of the mosque’s pro-Taliban former chief cleric, Abdul Aziz – who is currently in government detention – to lead Friday afternoon prayers, and shouted slogans against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.