Hurling shoe at Nawaz an attempt to sever ties with Jamia Naeemia: Seminary head

F.P. Report

LAHORE: Hours after shoes were thrown at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore’s Jamia Naeemia, the Islamic seminary’s main curator Dr Raghib Naeemi said on Sunday that the whole episode was an ‘ulterior attempt’ to sever the madrassa’s ties with the Sharif family.

Two men lobbed shoes at Sharif but one hit him while he was about to begin addressing a religious seminar taking place at Jamia Naeemia earlier today. One of the accused chanted slogans praising Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer.

The incident drew strong condemnation form all prominent politicians of the country, who expressed their severe disapproval of the episode.
Chairing a meeting, called in the aftermath of the incident, Naeemi said that such efforts will never be able to disrupt “our 70-year-long relations with Nawaz Sharif,”.

A communiqué was also issued following the meeting, attended by over 20 clerics, condemning today’s incident in strongest possible words. It said that protecting Khatm-e-Nabuwat (the finality of Prophethood) was the shared responsibility of all Muslims and demanded to make public the Raja Zafarul Haq report on the issue.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Naeemi demanded transparent probe into the incident to reveal ‘behind the scene elements’ responsible for it.

“We are more hurt than Nawaz Sharif and his family as we were the hosts and Nawaz Sharif was our honourable guest,” he added.

“My father along with four colleagues lost his life in a suicide attack…today’s incident is not lesser in intensity. These ulterior attempts would never be able to push us back from our stance,” said Naeemi.

“Jamia Naeemia will continue its struggle for a democraticand peaceful Pakistan, free of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism.”