FIR registered against prime attacker, accomplices

ABDULLAH MUGHAL

LAHORE: Police registered a first information report (FIR) on Monday against the prime suspect and his accomplices who hurled a shoe at former premier Nawaz Sharif during an event at Jamia Naeemia in Garhi Shahu on Sunday.

The shoe-attacker Hafiz Munawar Hussain, resident of Muzaffargarh district, and his two accomplices Muhammad Sajid and Abdul Ghafoor have been booked under Section 16 (Dissemination of rumours) of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and Section 355 (Assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person, otherwise than on grave provocation) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation).

According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Business Recorder, at least three men carrying shoes in their hands tried to attack the former premier when he was about to deliver a speech at the seminary. “All the attackers wanted to humiliate the former prime minister and to spoil his reputation in public at large,” the FIR states.

The FIR further states that Hafiz Munawar hurled the first shoe which hit Nawaz between his chest and neck. Later, accused Abdul Ghafoor hurled the second shoe which was stopped by a man namely Muhammad Khalid.

The plan of attacking Nawaz Sharif was conspired by the three accused that used shoes in fulfilling their mission, the FIR maintains. As the peace was destroyed, the suspects attempted to spread religious anarchy, as per the FIR.

During the interrogation, it has emerged that all the three suspects were the former students of the seminary, a police officer said. The case has been registered to ascertain whether the accused have links with any political or a ‘religious party’ because the attacker after throwing a shoe also shouted “Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah”.

The police officials believed that it was a well-planned incident and an unfortunate display of intolerance, they added. Talking to Business Recorder, a senior police officer opined that a “considered campaign” against former premier Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) is underway to damage him politically. Explaining the scenario, he said, three consecutive events of intolerance happened in two months.

In the first incident, he said, a suspect identified as Bilal Haris threw a shoe at Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal when he was addressing a workers convention in Narowal district in February.

In the second episode, an unidentified person threw black ink at Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif when he was addressing a PML-N workers convention in Sialkot on last Saturday.

After the incident, the enraged PML-N workers roughed up the ink-thrower before handing him over to the police. Asif, however, pardoned the attacker instantly and called for his release.

In the third similar incident, Nawaz Sharif was targeted in a likewise manner. He said the attacker was annoyed with the ruling party for bringing a controversial amendment to The Election Act, 2017.

On Sunday, Jamia Naeemia’s administrator Mufti Raghib Naeemi told the media that it was a highly condemnable act. It was not only an attack on Nawaz Sharif but also on Jamia Naeemia. He emphasised that it was an individual act and his institution had nothing to do with it.

According to Mufti, Nawaz has to come up with a policy statement on the matter related to Khatm-e-Nubuwat. “Nawaz 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 demanded publication of this report.