Shoe throwing incident an outcome of culture of hate speech and violence introduced by Imran: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (APP):Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Ms Marriyum Aurangzeb Sunday severely condemned the incident of shoe throwing at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and said all the politicians and other stakeholders would have to move forward with a collective thought to prevent the recurrence of such happenings otherwise they could become a common sight in the class rooms, schools and market places.
Talking to private news channels, she said today’s incident was the outcome of the culture of violence and the slogans like drag them out, pick them up and pull them down introduced by Imran Khan during the last four and half years.
Marriyum said, “When a leader stands and talks like that it changes, nurtures and forms mindsets and behaviours of millions of people.”
The minister said the politicians would have to think seriously that transforming the difference of opinion into hate syndrome would be a misfortune for the whole society.
She said no words would be enough to denounce the incident not because it happened with Nawaz Sharif but because the emerging trend in the society was very worrying.
Marriyum welcomed the condemnation of the incident by political leaders and Imran Khan and remarked that it was imperative to go beyond that and integrate that thinking with their behaviours.
She said a leader should choose his words carefully, adding Imran could not come up with any performance during the last four and a half years except making provocative speeches.
The minister said the issue did not relate to any one party and it was imperative for the leaders to realize collectively that their behaviors were bound to be reflected in the society.
She said media, particularly those who sat on the TV channels in the evening should play their positive role along with the government to change the attitudes and behaviours of people.
Marriyum observed that Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal faced similar occurrences but they pardoned those who were responsible for them because they were the followers of the Prophet (PBUH) who always preached forgiveness, adding people should fashion their lives in conformity with the Prophet’s (PBUH) sayings and the way he lived his life.
The minister said people should learn a lesson from today’s incident and try to inculcate the virtue of tolerance in their lives. She wondered what would the international media be showing and saying about that happening and emphasized the need for individual and collective efforts to prevent them.