Police action sought against Rashid for ‘inciting hooliganism’ in Madina

An application has been submitted with the police station in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral district, seeking registration of first information report (FIR) against former interior minister Sheikh Rashid for defending the hooliganism and use of inappropriate language at Masjid-e-Nabwi (PBUH) in Madina.

The complainant maintained in the application that Rashid provoked the Pakistani pilgrims, apparently supporters of PTI, to raise slogans against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation at Masjid-e-Nabwi (PBUH) in Madina.

The petitioner, who is former president of district bar association Chitral, has claimed that Rashid also publicly admitted to provoking the protesters.

“Sloganeering at the holy mosque hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world,” he added.

Meanwhile, the former interior minister in a statement said the sloganeering against his political opponents at the Prophet’s (PBUH) mosque was reflection of Pakistanis’ sentiments against the “thieves”.

Also read: Pakistani protesters arrested for ‘raising slogans’ at Masjid-e-Nabwi

“Wherever the ‘thief’ prime minister of this country will go, he will face the hatred of Pakistanis,” Rashid added.

The premier arrived in the holy city of Madina on Thursday on a three-day official visit with his cabinet members and parliamentarians.

Angry protesters, apparently supporters of the PTI, gathered around PM Shehbaz and his delegation and shouted slogans of “thieves” and “beggars” – one of the pictures captured on the scene showing the premier sitting in a vehicle visibly perturbed by the incident.

In a series of videos doing the rounds on social media, the miscreants can be seen specifically targeting Narcotics Minister Nawab Shahzain Bugti, calling him a “shameless” and a “lota”. One of them even grabbed him by his hair.