Throwing shoes at Nawaz an attempt to disrupt ties: Jamia Naeemia head

LAHORE: Jamia Naeemia head Dr Raghib Naeemi said on Sunday that the act of throwing shoes at former premier Nawaz Sharif was an attempt to disrupt the ties between the Sharif family and the seminary.

In a meeting after the incident, Naeemi said that such actions would not succeed in disrupting the 70-year-long relationship between the seminary and the Sharif family.

The meeting was attended by 20 clerics who condemned the incident and said the protection of Khatm-e-Nabuwat was the shared responsibility of all Muslims. They also demanded that Raja Zafarul Haq’s report on the issue be made public.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, he asked for a transparent inquiry into the incident.

“We are more hurt than Nawaz Sharif and his family as we were the hosts and Nawaz Sharif was our honourable guest,” Naeemi said.

“My father along with four colleagues lost his life in a suicide attack but today’s incident is not lesser in intensity. These ulterior attempts will never be able to push us back from our stance,” he said, “Jamia Naeemia will continue its struggle for a democratic and peaceful Pakistan, free of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism.”

Earlier, two men hurled shoes at the former premier during his visit to the seminary. One shoe hit while the other missed him. One of the accused also shouted slogans in favour of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer.

All prominent politicians of the country condemned the incident and expressed strong disapproval for such actions.