Protester who threw shoes at Pakistan Prez remains unrepentant

'I'm proud of what I did'

Protester who threw shoes at Pakistan Prez remains unrepentant

A protester who threw his shoes at the Pakistan president as he gave a speech in Birmingham last night said he was proud of his actions.

Sardar Mohammed Shamim Khan (57), said Asif Ali Zardari's speech had incensed him so much that he spontaneously decided to unlace his size 10 leather shoes and hurl them at the bewildered Pakistani leader.
Police quickly led father-of-four Shamim away before cautioning and later releasing him.

Anger brewing
An unrepentant Khan, from Coventry, West Midlands, last night said, "I could feel the anger brewing up inside me as Zardari talked about the floods in Pakistan.

"I thought we have a crisis back at home and all he can do is take a trip around Europe while his own people are suffering."

Khan managed to sneak into the invite-only political rally organised by the UK branch of Zardari's Pakistan People's Party.

More than 2,000 people attended the rally at Birmingham's International Convention Centre while hundreds more protested outside.

Disgrace
Khan, who was sat about 20 metres away from the President, said, "I thought his speech was insulting to my people who are dying because of Zardari's government. He is a disgrace and I had to let my feelings be known in a way he would remember."

Khan said he shouted, "Allah is the only one who can give and take lives' as he threw the shoes, which failed to hit the president.

One shoe narrowly missed him while the other was deflected away by a security guard.

Answered prayers
The drama was captured on Pakistani cable TV channel PTV which was live streaming the event.
But the shoe-throwing incident was edited out and party officials tried to downplay the incident.
Khan said, "I am proud of what I did and feel all my prayers have been answered."

The Pakistani president addressed thousands of his political party faithful at a packed rally in the city.
Zardari began his address with a prayer for his murdered wife Benazir Bhutto who he said would have been proud of the progress Pakistan was making on the world stage.

Wearing a black jacket and speaking in his native Urdu, he said, "She believed in democracy and dialogue and we will not falter from that even if it sometimes causes misunderstandings."

Zardari was referring to Prime Minister David Cameron's recent comments accusing Pakistan of "exporting terror."

He thanked British-based Pakistani civic leaders for their help in correcting Cameron's remarks. More than 2,000 people turned up for the event.

Vitriolic
Zardari's daughter Asifa sat by her father's side, occasionally raising a clenched fist a she joined in with the sloganeering.

Most of Zaradari's speech was spent thanking his party members and supporters in the UK and he made constant references to Benazir Bhutto.

Zardari was referring to the hundreds of protesters who had gathered outside the ICC incensed that the president was not at home co-coordinating the flood relief efforts.

Other demonstrators were more vitriolic with one group of young British-Pakistanis calling themselves Sharia For Pakistan.

Its spokesman, who gave his name as Abu Jihad, said Zardari was an apostate which is punishable by death according to Sharia law.

"Zardari is evil and his government is a puppet of the West. We are against any democratic laws because they are not the laws of God."

His views were echoed by members of Islamist organisation Hizb-Ut-Tahrir who made up the largest and most vocal contingent of protesters.

Spokesman Taji Mustafa said it was a disgrace that the president was "holidaying" while his country was suffering.

He said, "This shows complete disdain for his people. He has come to this country despite the UK Prime Minister's comments about Pakistan exporting terror.

Armed police were joined by hundreds of officers who ensured the event passed off without any trouble despite the highly charged atmosphere.

'King of Thieves'
The chants made by more than 200 protesters outside the venue

ShoeGate Scandal

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, was greeted by shoes when a student was arrested in the United Kingdom on February 3, 2009 after he was found guilty of throwing a shoe at the visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during the Communist leader's speech at Cambridge University.

On Dec 14, 2008, Bush found two shoes coming his way, while he was addressing a press conference in the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki's office to mark the signing of a security agreement. The Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi throwing shoes at Bush had shouted in Arabic, "This is the farewell kiss, you dog."

Similarly, on April 7, 2009, a Sikh reporter Jarnail Singh also threw a shoe at the Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram during a news conference in New Delhi after he was infuriated over the minister's reply to a question.

The Indian minister, who was speaking about 1984 riots in which hundreds of Sikhs were killed, had leaned back to avoid the hurled shoe which narrowly missed him.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels