Assault on Sheikh Rasheed with eggs, punches condemned

LONDON: Leaders of Awami Muslim League and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in UK have condemned physical attack on Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, the Railways Minister and chief of Awami Muslim League, by two officials of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the UK.

Sheikh Rasheed was pelted with eggs and punches were thrown at him as he came out from the hotel after attending an awards ceremony. The attackers fled the scene immediately but on Wednesday two officials of PPP in UK namely Asif Ali khan, President People’s Youth Organisation Europe, and Samah Naz, General Secretary for Greater London women’s Wing, issued a statement confirming that they had attacked Sheikh Rasheed because he has been using “abusive language” for PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zaradri.

Saleem Sheikh, AML’s UK President, told this reporter that he will be speaking to Sheikh Rasheed to get his permission for police case registration against the attackers. “We saw Asif Khan and a woman being involved in the attack but they ran away from the scene and there was no video proof of their shameful act but now both have come out and claimed the attack. We will decide whether to report them to the police or not after speaking to Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed.”

Saleem Sheikh said that Sheikh Rasheed came out from the event venue for a cigar in open near Earl’s Court station when suddenly two individuals attacked him in the head and on the face. There were not many people around and just a few people knew that we were going out from a side exit. This means the attack was planned. We are taking this matter seriously.”

Asif Khan and Samah Naz claimed that Rasheed has been continuously using “abusive and bad language during interviews against our Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He should be thankful we only used eggs as a British way of dealing with such uncivilised politician. He started this we ended it”.

PTI’s London President Waheed-ur-Rehman said: “I condemn the shameful act committed by mischievous people who claim to belong to a political party but lack the political maturity & morality. By committing this act they have defamed the whole Pakistani Community in the UK.”

Sheikh Rasheed was criticized for being in the UK but not taking part in protest against India in London and doing shopping with Aneel Musarrat but he said that it was a considered decision that he didn’t attend the London because that could have caused another controversy. Saleem Sheikh confirmed that Rasheed had cancelled participation in London after receiving intelligence report that he could be attacked at the rally. “There were several plans to attack him. We are going to take further action because violence is unacceptable for all.”