Imran, Zardari, other political leaders condemn shoe-hurling at Nawaz

KARACHI: Almost all the mainstream political parties and their leaders, including Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and former president Asif Zardari, on Sunday condemned the incident of hurling shoe at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ARY News reported.

“I condemn throwing shoe at Nawaz and request people to refrain from such unethical treatment of pelting shoes and throwing ink on politicians,” Imran said in a reaction to the incident.

Taking lead from recent incidents of political mischief, a former seminary student on Sunday (today) hurled a shoe at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The shoe was thrown at the former premier during an event at Jamia Naeemia seminary in Garhi Shahu.

Soon after the incident, the seminary administration detained the attacker before handing him over to the police.

Read More: Shoe hurled at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore

According to police officials, the attacker was beaten up by a group of students and seminary staff after the incident and shifted to hospital for medical assistance.

They identified him as Talha Munawar, a former student of the seminary.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the incidents of hurling shoes at leaders were condemnable and the PPP, since its inception, had been against such acts.

He said such incidents were a threat to the security of politicians.

Zardari said the incidents of attacking politicians were a conspiracy against democratic standards.

“Tolerance should be given priority in politics,” he said.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar said it was another rueful and unethical episode of such incidents.

“Politic preaches tolerance and this teaching should be imparted by political leaders to their workers,” he said.

Condemning the incident, Chairman Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Mustafa Kamal said quick measures should be taken to curtail intolerance in the society.

Spokesmen of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and PTI also condemned the incident saying such act could not be justified in any way.

PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said neither it was their practice nor it was their way of politics.

“Each political party should devise code of conducts against such behaviours,” he said.

Back-to-back incidents

It was the third attack on PML-N leaders in recent months.

On Saturday night, ink was thrown at foreign minister Khawaja Asif while he was addressing the PML-N workers’ convention in Sialkot city of Punjab province.

Khawaja Asif, however, continued his speech and said that such “tactics” can’t harm his political career.

PML-N workers grabbed the man and handed him over to police.

In a similar incident last month, a man hurled his shoe at Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal while he was addressing a party workers’ convention in Narowal city of the province. The man was arrested but Iqbal asked police to release him without charge.

Later, the minister tweeted that the incident was just a “mischief by opponents” , adding that he also completed his speech and the event concluded without any interruption.