Press urges Red Mosque inquiry

Newspapers in Pakistan are urging the government to act in the aftermath of the offensive against student militants at Islamabad's Red Mosque (Lal Masjid).

Some dailies call for a judicial inquiry into the storming of the mosque while others advise the government to coordinate its next steps with religious leaders.

The intelligence community is criticized for apparently failing to act while militants built up resources in the capital but one paper concludes that only the US is satisfied with the outcome.

EDITORIAL IN DAWN

The Red Mosque operation has raised questions that need to be fully and fairly answered ...

The government should order a judicial inquiry into the stand-off, make the findings public and punish those found guilty of acts of omission and commission in the discharge of duty or in violation of the law.

EDITORIAL IN BUSINESS RECORDER

Let there be an independent inquiry by a high-powered judicial commission to look into the matter and fix responsibility... The fear that the Red Mosque episode can trigger a severe backlash is present... The constitution of a judicial commission can defuse the anger.

EDITORIAL IN JANG

The government, opposition and religious leaders all need to act rationally... Instead of considering the Red Mosque operation as the end of the issue, all schools of thought should get together and work out a practicable strategy for the future.

EDITORIAL IN NAWA-I-WAQT

It is the government's responsibility to maintain an atmosphere of trust with religious leaders...Every possible effort should be made to avoid playing with the sentiments of the people, otherwise the foundation of the volcano that has been laid will take no time to explode.

EDITORIAL IN ISLAM

Levels of law and order in some parts of the country have fallen... After the Red Mosque operation, attacks on security forces in tribal areas have intensified... Can the situation everywhere be brought to normal through the use of force?

EDITORIAL IN THE POST

The role of the security and intelligence services in the whole affair needs explaining as it seems incredible that the Red Mosque brigade was able to gather fighters and an arsenal of weapons right under the noses of the authorities in the federal capital itself.

EDITORIAL IN DAILY TIMES

The opposition will attack the government from new angles... President Musharraf will have to conduct an inquiry into the intelligence agencies controlled by the army and the character of the officers inducted into them.

EDITORIAL IN EXPRESS

The Red Mosque tragedy will be remembered as a human tragedy rather than a victory or defeat for any particular person. The operation left behind great lessons for us as a nation. We should understand these lessons.

EDITORIAL IN AUSAF

The entire nation is grieving... Only the USA wanted what happened and proof of that is that the storming operation was celebrated at the White House and Pentagon rather than at General Musharraf's HQ.

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