Daily Times

LAHORE: At least three religious activists were arrested on Sunday for throwing shoe at Nawaz Sharif at the Jamia Naeemia, moments after the disqualified premier approached the dais to deliver speech at a seminar organised by the seminary.

Security personnel and the seminary staff grabbed Abdul Ghafoor, 25, and his two aides, who were later identified as Sajid Ali and Talha Munawar. The attackers were handed over to police. Ghafoor was standing very close to the former premier when he attacked him with a shoe while chanting slogans ‘Labbaik Ya Rasoolullah (SAW)’ and ‘Mumtaz Qadri Zindabaad’. Ghafoor belongs to Haveli Kahota and is affiliated with Jamia Ghausia, Gulberg, nowadays. He is reportedly a former graduate of Jamia Naeemia and had passed out in 2012. His aide Sajid Ali belongs to Haveli Lakha and is a student of Jamia Fatmia, Mughalpura, while Talha is affiliated with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasoolullah.

After the incident, Nawaz Sharif delivered a short speech and left for Islamabad to chair a party meeting.

Later, the head of the seminary in his address to the gathering denied any affiliation of the attackers with the institution. He also called for a legal action against them.

Some PML-N workers tried to storm the Garhi Shahu police station where the attackers had been detained and demanded that police hand over the culprits to the party workers. However, police refused to budge and made the workers disperse peacefully. A few other activists also held a protest demonstration in front of the Lahore Press Club.

Political leadership across the country including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, PPPP President Asif Zardari and several others condemned the shoe attack on Nawaz Sharif.

“This is against our moral values and I am glad that a PTI worker is not involved in this incident,” Imran told media in Faisalabad.

Asif Zardari said that such incidents were against the democratic values.

Bilawal Bhutto strongly condemned the incident and termed it an ugly trend threatening the respect and security of the political leaders in the country.

MQM-P leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Faisal Subzwari and Farooq Sattar also condemned the incident.

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

Published in Daily Times, March 12^th 2018.