In a bold challenge to the government, a firebrand cleric said on Friday that he had formed an Islamic court to enforce a Taliban-style vice campaign in the Pakistani capital, threatening suicide attacks if authorities try to stop him.
Thousands of followers of Maulana Abdul Aziz underlined their defiance by chanting "Our way is jihad!" and setting fire to hundreds of mainly Western DVDs and video cassettes outside Islamabad's Red Mosque.
"If the government says it will launch an operation against us as a last resort, our last resort will be suicide bombings," Aziz said.
Tariq Azim, minister of state for information, denounced Aziz's threat, and urged him not to force the government to take stern action.
