The government of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari lacks the political will to go hard after the Islamists, especially at a time when the nation faces grave threats from the terrorists. “It (the recent release of Lal Masjid don) relates to political will and political constraints,” said Rafia Zakaria, a columnist for the Daily Times. “It’s all part of the game of attempting to co-opt the Islamists so that popular sentiment would be with the government.” At the same time, she said, the new Supreme Court was seemingly intent on reversing what it considered illegal steps taken by the former president, Pervez Musharraf.

“This court has political scores to settle,” Ms. Zakaria said. “The Lal Masjid affair was a debacle and got all sorts of sympathy for the Islamists. The civilian government is obviously trying to make amends.”

The siege and subsequent raid of the Red Mosque inflamed militant sentiment in the country. Militants claimed that hundreds of female students had been killed alongside the militants who were fighting the army. The Pakistani military denied it. Mr. Musharraf defended the raid, saying the Red Mosque had become a recruiting ground for terrorists.

Mr. Aziz used to lead Friday Prayer at the mosque. He and his allies had openly challenged government authority in the months before the siege, and had begun a campaign to impose Taliban-style rule in the capital.