Zardari: A "disgrace" to Pakistan

The British-Pakistani man, who angrily threw shoes at Asif Ali Zardari at a political rally in Birmingham, has gone into hiding after receiving death threats allegedly from the Pakistan president's supporters.

57-year-old Sardar Mohammad Shamin Khan threw shoes at Zardari during the Pakistan People's Party rally on August 6, but the missile did not him.

Sardar Mohammad Shamim Khan, 57, launched the attack in protest against Zardari's meeting with premier British David Cameron, who had triggered a storm by saying Pakistan had links with groups that promoted export of terror to Afghanistan and India.

Khan told media ‘I am proud of what I did and feel all my prayers have been answered.” “He (Zardari) should go back to Pakistan immediately and apologize for his lack of sympathy. Then he should resign.’

Khan was also enraged by Zardari's handling of his country's floods disaster.

Khan, who is based in Coventry, is in hiding in Birmingham among the Kashmiri community after receiving threats allegedly from Zardari's supporters.

Incidentally, he is a supporter of the Pakistan People's Party.

"He feels that he can't go home at the moment, so he is keeping a very low profile. His family has been threatened over in Pakistan, the irony is that most of them are actually Zardari supporters. He has also had threatening phone calls as well, most likely from overseas," a friend of Khan told the media in Coventry.

"At the moment he is scared for his safety."

Speaking after the rally, Khan - who had shouted "Allah is the only one who can give and take lives" - said he was proud he had thrown his shoes at Zardari.

"I could feel the anger brewing up inside me. I thought, we've a crisis back at home and all he can do is take a trip around Europe while his own people are suffering. His speech was insulting to my people who are dying because of Zardari's government," he had said.

Khan, who had sneaked into the invitation-only rally organised by the UK branch of Pakistan People's Party at Birmingham International Convention Centre, had called Zardari a "disgrace" to Pakistan.

He was 20 metres away from the president when he threw his size 10 shoes, and was detained by security staff.

He was cautioned by the police, but was later released without charge. ( PTI )