Pakistan Today

Shoe thrown at Nawaz Sharif during seminar in Lahore

PakistanToday

LAHORE, PAKISTAN, MAR 11: Security officials arrested a former seminary student hurled a shoe at Former Prime Minister and Muslim League (PML-N) Supreme Leader, Nawaz Sharif during ceremony in connection of the death anniversary of Mufti Mohammad Hussain Naeemia held at Jamia Naeemia Seminary University in Lahore on Sunday, March 11, 2018. (Babar Shah/PPI Images).

LAHORE: A former Jamia Neemia student, reportedly a member of Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR), on Sunday hurled a shoe at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, while the former premier was about to address the event members at the seminary in Garhi Shahu.

As Nawaz reached the rostrum to address the participants of the event, an audience member threw a shoe which hit the former premier on his chest after which he climbed the stage and shouted a slogan while standing in front of Nawaz.

 

https://cache.pakistantoday.com.pk/HwSWesAvmtFQ7jUh.mp4?_=1

Following the incident, in which Nawaz remained unhurt, the attacker was detained by the seminary’s administration and later handed over to the police.

The former prime minister addressed the crowd later on. Nawaz recalled the history of the seminary and praised its late leader, Mufti Naeem, before ending his speech and departing.

Police said the attacker, identified as Talha Munawwar, is a former student of the seminary. He has been shifted to Services Hospital owing to injuries from being beaten up by the seminary staff and students after the incident.

Moreover, police said they have arrested two other suspicious persons from the seminary.

On Saturday, Faizul Rasool of Muzaffarpur threw ink at Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif while the federal minister was addressing PML-N workers convention.

After the incident, enraged PML-N workers roughed up the ink-thrower before handing him over to the police.

On February 24, police arrested a man, Bilal Haris, for hurling a shoe at Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal during PML-N workers convention in Narowal.

The interior minister barely escaped the shoe while addressing the workers in the Aliabad area of his constituency.

After the incident, the workers grabbed the man and handed him over to the police. Iqbal descended from the stage leaving his speech in between following the incident.

He, however, directed the police not to take legal action against the man, reported a private media outlet. The intruder was later released.

POLITICIANS DENOUNCE NAWAZ ‘SHOE ATTACK’

Pakistani politicians denounced the ‘shoe attack’ on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore.

Punjab Chief Minister and PML-N interim chief Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident and termed it shameful. He said that this trend is devastating for the country and the nation; however, it is rapturous that all politicians have condemned it. The

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan condemned the attack stating, “I condemned the shoe incident. Throwing a shoe at any politician is not the correct way.”

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto also condemned the incident, calling it “ugly trend threatening the respect and security of the political leaders in Pakistan”.

PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the incident and said that such incidents were against the democratic values.

PTI leader Mushtaq Ghani wrote, “Political differences apart but I strongly condemned this incident of throwing shoe on Nawaz Sharif. I request all to reject politicians through your votes.”

The PTI had earlier condemned the throwing of ink on Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, urging the masses to “put one dot of ink on your thumb and use your right to vote instead.”

PTI leader Naeem ul Haq also took to Twitter to condemn the attack, but did say that “we keep on forgetting thousands of poor and the deprived who are getting tortured every day in our police stations and jails. Our insouciance towards the poor has reached a very high level of hypocrisy”.

Former PTI general secretary Jehangir Tareen labelled the incident “needless” and “ungraceful”, tweeting “Hurling shoes and throwing ink at rulers is condemnable. Why resort to such acts, when you have the option of sending them out through the power of vote? Do take your revenge but take it gracefully”.

PPP leader Rehman Malik wrote, “Political differences aside shoe throwing on EX PM Nawaz Sharif and black ink on Khawaja Asif is highly condemnable and I demand from PM and CM Punjab for legal action and exemplary punishment.”

PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafique said that the attack was carried out by those who are disturbed from the increasing popularity of the PML-N.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the attack was carried out by the rivals of the PML-N.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Faisal Subzwari and Farooq Sattar also condemned the incident.

Along with politicians people of Pakistan including journalists also denounced the act.

TV anchor Ghareeda Farooq condemned the incident, writing, “Highly condemnable! Shoe hurled at Nawaz Sharif at Jamia Naemia, Lahore. What is this pattern going on? Who is doing it? Don’t lead the already morally-fragile nation to a new low.”

Senior journalist Syed Talat Hussain wrote that ink attack on Khawaja Asif and shoe attack on Nawaz Sharif. It is getting dirtier and desperate by the day. Now no one will be safe.”

 

Later, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan also strongly condemned shoe throwing at former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Jamia Naeemia.

In a statement, he said shoe throwing is an abhorrent act and such should be discouraged by all political parties. He said politics and democracy teach the lesson of tolerance.

Reacting to the incident, Jamat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq said it was an unacceptable incident as the Pakistani culture did not allow such intolerance.

Pakistan People’s Party Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira said the culture of lack of tolerance should not be promoted.  It was an unethical act and no one should be allowed to express his feelings in that way, he added.

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, in a statement, said throwing shoes at the former prime minister was another attack by those, who are afraid of growing popularity of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Senator-elect Kamran Michael urged the political leadership to take a unanimous stand to stop the occurrence of such incidents in future, which hurts the country’s image internationally. It seemed a conspiracy had been hatched to damage democratic and liberal image of the Pakistani society, he said.

 

Exit mobile version