Shoe thrown at former PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore

LAHORE: A former seminary student hurled a shoe at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during an event on Sunday. 

During a visit to Jamia Naeemia seminary in Garhi Shahu, as Nawaz reached the rostrum to address the participants of the event, an audience member threw a shoe which hit the former premier on his chest after which he climbed the stage and shouted a slogan while standing in front of Nawaz. 

Following the incident, in which Nawaz remained unhurt, the attacker was detained by the seminary's administration and later handed over to the police. 

The former prime minister addressed the crowd later on. Nawaz recalled the history of the seminary and praised its late leader, Mufti Naeem, before ending his speech and departing. 

 

Police said the attacker, identified as Talha Munawwar, is a former student of the seminary. He has been shifted to Services Hospital owing to injuries from being beaten up by the seminary staff and students after the incident. 

Moreover, police said they have arrested two other suspicious persons from the seminary.

Talking to Geo News, senior journalist Sohail Warraich, who was at the event, said the attacker was chanting slogans in favour of a religious party which carried out a prolonged protest against the government in Islamabad last year for the ruling party's role in amending the Finality of Prophethood oath of lawmakers. 

'Incident a conspiracy' 

Talking to Geo News, Allama Raghib Naeemi, the head of the seminary, condemned the incident and said Islam teaches respect. 

In a press conference later, he said that though democracy espouses differences of opinion, expressing differences this way is not appropriate. 

Our relations with the Sharif family cannot be curtailed through these acts, he said, and termed the incident a part of a conspiracy. 

Allama Naeemi also called for strict legal punishment against the perpetrators of the attack.  

Ink thrown at Khawaja Asif during workers convention in Sialkot

The person was taken into custody by the police

On Saturday, a person threw ink at Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif while he was addressing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz convention.

The person was taken into custody by the police, however, Asif said he should be released saying he has no enmity with him.

Last month, a man hurled a shoe at Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal while he was addressing a workers' convention in Narowal.