ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday suggested that an advertisement campaign should be initiated on the media platforms for the recovery of Naalain-e-Pak, the shoes attributed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which were reportedly stolen from Lahore’s Badshahi Mosque in 2002.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar heard a case related to the theft and ordered the authorities to continue efforts for the recovery of the Naalain-e-Pak.
“This is such a rare and priceless [thing], we will not leave the matter until it’s found,” Justice Nisar remarked, adding that the “petitioner has been walking barefoot ever since the theft took place.”
A Punjab police representative informed the bench that the Naalain-e-Pak were stolen as soon as they were brought back from Brunei on July 31, 2002, between the time of Maghrib and Isha.
“We took measurements of the Naalain-e-Pak, obtained fingerprints at the time [of the theft],” the police representative informed the court.
“We even once received news from Karachi that they had been spotted and went there.”
A video clip of the Naalain-e-Pak was then played in the courtroom, following which Justice Ijazul Ahsan said that it has” great importance and such sacred items are often kept in museums”.
The police replied that “Turkey’s Topkapi Palace Museum and a museum in England were also checked for them.”
CJP Nisar further questioned whether any advertisements were run on mainstream media regarding the theft to which the Punjab police representative replied, “We have kept a reward of Rs1.5 million for anyone who provides us with any information.”
“We know the police are working in the right direction. Such sacred relics should be taken care of by the Punjab government,” the top judge observed, adding that it is the duty of the print and electronic media to help find the item.
“Objects such as these should be kept in glass boxes and any assistance regarding this would be provided by the court,” the bench said and directing the police to submit a report into the recovery process after every three months.
