A key Pakistani opposition leader Monday resigned from the National Assembly to protest the deadly Lal Mosque raid that he said killed near 1,000 students.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, president of the six-party religious alliance Mutahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), sent his resignation to the speaker of the assembly.

He talked to newsmen before submitting his resignation said that he was resigning to protest the security forces operations on Lal Mosque and also in Baluchistan, Bajaur and Waziristan tribal agencies.

Special Elite Forces in an operation on Lal Mosque earlier this month killed many including the Mosque and its Madrassahs deputy administrator, Abdul Rashid Ghazi. His brother, Maulana Abdul Aziz was arrested.

Qazi Hussain Ahmeds resignation came as the capital government started demolishing the building of Jamia Hafsa Madrassah, adjacent to the mosque, after it was declared dangerous.

Qazi had said that he would resist the demolition of Jamia Hafsa and would not allow the government to run it.

Güncelleme Tarihi: 23 Temmuz 2007, 19:23