Islamic radicals free two officers

Muslim radicals in Islamabad freed two police officers they had abducted in an effort to enforce a harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

Abdul Rashid Ghazi, one of two brothers who run the pro-Taliban Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, in the Pakistani capital, said the officers seized last Friday by mosque students were freed “in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and humanity” after pleas from relatives.

The cleric denied that the release had anything to do with the threat of a government raid. The students have launched a campaign that has included threats to music stores and the abduction of an alleged brothel owner.