Raising slogans against Shehbaz delegation: Six convicted of Masjid-e-Nabavi desecration

MADINA: A Saudi court on Thursday convicted six Pakistanis over desecrating Masjid-e-Nabavi by raising slogans against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation.

Six Pakistanis found guilty of blasphemy at Harm-e-Madina, the Saudi court said. According to media reports, three Pakistanis were sentenced to jail for 10 years each and three Pakistanis were sentenced to jail for 8 years each. Anas, Irshad and Muhammad Salim were sentenced to 10 years, while Khwaja Luqman, Muhammad Afzal and Ghulam Muhammad were sentenced to 8 years.

The Madina court slapped 200,000 riyals fine on the six people and confiscated their mobile phones as they were found guilty of abusing Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and other ministers. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the ministers had gone to Medina on an official visit on the last day of Ramazan.

It may be noted that the Pakistanis who misbehaved with the Pakistani delegation in the Prophet’s Mosque were arrested by the Saudi authorities. A statement issued by the Madina Police spokesperson said, “The legal process has been completed with the arrest of these Pakistanis and the matter has been referred to the appropriate authorities.”

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and Minister for Narcotics Control Shahzain Bugti were abused by Pakistanis in the courtyard of Masjid-e-Nabavi. The convicts surrounded the Pakistani delegation and shouted slogans and also pulled the hair of Shahzain Bugti and pushed him while using obscene language against Marriyum Aurangzeb. Pakistan had demanded action against those involved in the ugly incident in Masjid-e-Nabavi.