LAHORE: PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz had to cut short his speech at a function here on Saturday when irate students stood up chanting “Go Nawaz go” while reacting to his mention of Islamabad sit-in.

The Sharif family scion went red in the face at the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) event held in connection with the World Tourism Day at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall. He was invited there as a chief guest.

Sources told Dawn the department had ‘requested’ the Punjab University’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management and some other public institutions to send their students to the event. The administrations of these institutions committed to sending at least 20 students each ‘to make the event a success’.

Leaving nothing to chance, the organisers ensured the arrival of the students by 9am although the chief guest reached there around 1pm. A four-hour or so wait would have exhausted the students by the time Hamza started his speech with focus on tourism in the country.

PML-N rails at alarming trend of booing

No sooner had he moved to the topic of politics than the hall environment changed. “You should better restrict yourself to the topic of tourism. We haven’t come here to listen to a lecture on politics,” a visibly perturbed woman interrupted Hamza. The young politician conveniently ignored her and continued his speech.

At this, a group of students stood up and started chanting ‘Go Nawaz go”. They were joined by more students and together they walked out of the hall. They continued raising anti-Sharif and anti-VIP culture slogans for quite some time outside the hall. A TDCP official rushed to placate the students but they refused to heed his request.

Meanwhile, Hamza in an agitated mood left the venue through the backdoor as he was advised to avoid the protesting students.

A teacher told Dawn that the students got frustrated after waiting for the chief guest for four hours. “They were not even allowed to drink water. And it seems they let loose their indignation at Hamza,” he said while expressing fear that the Punjab government might take action against the protesting students through their institutions’ administrations.

“We had not come here to listen to political speeches. We hear enough of these at home on TV,” a student who introduced himself as an alumni of the Punjab University told Dawn. He further said: “We also protested late arrival of the chief guest. We must discourage the VIP culture,” he said and requested his name not be mentioned.

The PML-N played down the situation saying it could also send people to the PTI events to create a scene by raising anti-Imran slogans.

“We can send 500 to 700 PML-N workers in the PTI’s Sunday (today) public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan to raise anti-Imran slogans. It’s not a big deal,” former provincial minister Rana Sanaullah said. He said the PTI was promoting a “dangerous trend”.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2014