Interior Minister Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal barely survived an assassination attempt on Sunday as a 24-year-old resident of Narowal shot at him while the minister was attending a corner meeting in his constituency. The suspect was arrested from the spot while Ahsan Iqbal was rushed to Services Hospital in Lahore, where he is still under treatment.
Ahsan Iqbal's Facebook page admin requested for prayers later in the evening and informed that the minister was safe. "Allah Almighty has been very kind", the post said.
In his report to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, Deputy Commissioner of Narowal stated that the suspect had claimed affiliation with the right-wing extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik. A case was registered against the suspect named Abid.
However, one man who has humiliated himself in this tragic situation is Ahsan Iqbal's opponent from the Narowal district, Abrar ul-Haq, the musician-turned politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader.
In a bizarre attempt to use this attack on one of the most senior and dignified statesmen in the country for point scoring, Abrar ul-Haq offered the minister treatment at his Sahara hospital in Narowal in a tweet as distasteful as it could get.
This wasn't all. Abrar while talking to a TV channel in the aftermath of the attack resorted even to veiled threats to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, saying that the people had been calling him and justifying the attack, and then told the PML-N leaders to stay cautious.
It isn't the first time that Abrar ul-Haq has explicitly tried to woo the extremist right-wing vote-bank. In November 2017, when a number of Labbaik goons had surrounded Ahsan Iqbal's house in Narowal and in turn had been baton-charged by the police, Abrar in a video message had not only justified the vandalism of the Labbaik activists but had gone on to issue sermons for the PML-N leadership, especially naming Ahsan Iqbal, saying the party leaders were ruining their afterlife.
Pakistan is going through a turmoil. What we need right now is unity on the political front. PTI chairman Imran Khan was among those who openly condemned the terrorist attack on the interior minister's life. What Abrar ul-Haq did is most definitely an isolated act of political immaturity but this needs to be shunned and condemned by everyone, including the saner elements within his own party.
Ahsan Iqbal's Facebook page admin requested for prayers later in the evening and informed that the minister was safe. "Allah Almighty has been very kind", the post said.
In his report to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, Deputy Commissioner of Narowal stated that the suspect had claimed affiliation with the right-wing extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik. A case was registered against the suspect named Abid.
Picture courtesy: Mansoor Ali Khan (Express News)
However, one man who has humiliated himself in this tragic situation is Ahsan Iqbal's opponent from the Narowal district, Abrar ul-Haq, the musician-turned politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader.
In a bizarre attempt to use this attack on one of the most senior and dignified statesmen in the country for point scoring, Abrar ul-Haq offered the minister treatment at his Sahara hospital in Narowal in a tweet as distasteful as it could get.
I strongly condemn the attack on Ahsan Iqbal and thanks to Allah swt that he is out of danger ... Ahsan Sb you are more than welcome to use international facilities available at Sahara hospital where our professor doctors will take care of you . Get well soon
— Abrar Ul Haq (@AbrarUlHaqPK) May 6, 2018
This wasn't all. Abrar while talking to a TV channel in the aftermath of the attack resorted even to veiled threats to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, saying that the people had been calling him and justifying the attack, and then told the PML-N leaders to stay cautious.
Courtesy Twitter
It isn't the first time that Abrar ul-Haq has explicitly tried to woo the extremist right-wing vote-bank. In November 2017, when a number of Labbaik goons had surrounded Ahsan Iqbal's house in Narowal and in turn had been baton-charged by the police, Abrar in a video message had not only justified the vandalism of the Labbaik activists but had gone on to issue sermons for the PML-N leadership, especially naming Ahsan Iqbal, saying the party leaders were ruining their afterlife.
Pakistan is going through a turmoil. What we need right now is unity on the political front. PTI chairman Imran Khan was among those who openly condemned the terrorist attack on the interior minister's life. What Abrar ul-Haq did is most definitely an isolated act of political immaturity but this needs to be shunned and condemned by everyone, including the saner elements within his own party.