LAHORE: In an unfortunate display of intolerance, a man threw a shoe at Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif at Jamia Naeemia seminary in Garhi Shahu on Sunday. The incident drew widespread condemnation from all mainstream political and religious parties.

As Mr Sharif reached the dais to address the participants, a young man managed to reach in front of him from behind and threw a shoe at him, hitting his shoulder and ear. The shoe-attacker then chanted ‘Labbaik Ya Rasoolallah’. Security personnel overpowered him and gave him a sound thrashing before handing him over to police.

A couple of his accomplices also chanted the same slogan before the security men nabbed them. The shoe-attacker, wearing shalwar-kameez, red cap and sporting a beard, sneaked through the front rows of participants so swiftly that none of the security personnel could react before he had his job done.

A visibly-shocked Sharif stepped back after the attack, but quickly regained his composure and made a short speech. “I am thankful to Jamia Naeemia for inviting me as this institution has a key role for the religion and the country. We all have to make efforts for a good Pakistan,” the former prime minister said.

Political and religious leaders condemn the act

Mr Sharif left the venue immediately afterwards. Taking no chances, his security team did not allow anyone to come close to him.

One of the suspects in the lockup was later caught on camera talking to someone on a mobile phone, although an accused is not allowed to use it in detention.

An identical reason for the attack was given by Faiz Rasool, who threw black ink on Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday. Security agencies did not release him on Sunday, though the minister had pardoned him. Sources said police wanted to know if someone was behind him.

As police shifted the three suspects — shoe-attacker Talha Munawar and his two accomplices Sajid and Abdul Ghafoor — to the Garhi Shahu police station, a good number of PML-N workers gathered outside and demanded their custody to teach them a lesson. On police’s refusal, a few PML-N diehards managed to enter the police station and asked the policemen to open the lockup so that they could bring them to ‘book’. However, the police managed to disperse them after a while and shifted the suspects to an unidentified place for interrogation.

Deputy Inspector General (operations) Dr Haider Ashraf told Dawn that police had arrested Talha Munawar and his two accomplices. “The prime suspect belongs to Muzaffargarh. All three suspects are former students of Jamia Naeemia,” he said, adding that their link with any religious or political outfit had not been established so far. “Police are interrogating the suspects and will register an FIR against them after meeting all legal requirements,” Dr Ashraf said.

On Sunday, police also arrested one suspect each from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan’s rally in Faisalabad and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz’s show in Rawalpindi.

In a late night development, shoe-attacker Talha Munawar, in his late 20s, was reportedly admitted to Services Hospital for he was badly thrashed by security personnel after his arrest.

Condemnation

Talking to reporters, Jamia Naeemia’s administrator Mufti Raghib Naeemi said he was saddened to see the shoe attack on Mr Sharif. “It is a highly condemnable act. It was not only an attack on Mr Sharif but also on Jamia Naeemia. We demand that those behind this conspiracy be exposed,” he said, adding that it was the suspect’s individual act and his institution had nothing to do with it.

“Nawaz Sharif sahib was to give a policy statement on the matter related to Khatm-i-Nubuwat. He might have announced publication of the Raja Zafarul Haq report on this matter, but owing to this incident he had to cut short his speech,” Mufti Naeemi said and asked the government to make this report public.

He said the incident would not disrupt Jamia Naeemia’s 70-year-long association with the Sharif family.

Although condemnations were pouring in from all quarters against the incident, some PML-N leaders suspect it a ‘handiwork’ of those involved in conspiracies against the PML-N leadership.

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique tweeted: “The elements behind (shoe) attack on Nawaz Sharif are those who are afraid of rising popularity of PML-N. The attacks on Nawaz Sharif, Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal are links in a chain. Do not make it easier for enemies and let the country function.”

Condemning the incident, PTI chairman Imran Khan said such behaviour was regretful.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Jamaat-i-Islami and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, Awami National Party’s Asfandyar Wali Khan, PPP’s Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Mian Manzoor Wattoo also condemned the shoe-throwing incident.

Nawaz Sharif has joined the list of those leaders who have come under shoe attack during the last decade or so.

Former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim, former US president George W. Bush, former Australian premier John Howard, former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton are some of the prominent names on the list.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2018