'Protester hurls shoes at Zardari in Britain'

Instead of cheers, President Asif Ali Zardari was 'greeted' by shoes at a party convention in the British city of Birmingham but he luckily escaped being hit, Pakistani media reported on Sunday.

However, the presidential aides insisted that no such incident had occurred during Zardari's visit to Britain.

Geo News channel and newspapers of the Jang media group reported that a 60-year-old man named Shamim Khan threw the shoes at Zardari in protest against the president's meeting with Premier British David Cameron, who triggered a storm in Pakistan by saying that it had links with groups that promoted export of terror to Afghanistan and India.

But, the shoes failed to hit Zardari and the protester was escorted out of the venue, where the President was addressing a Pakistan People's Party convention, by security guards, the reports said.

Khan told Geo News that he threw the shoes in protest against Zardari's meeting with Cameron.

British security took away Khan, who shouted slogans, The News daily reported.

It also quoted Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira as saying that an investigation will be conducted to determine how and why the man was invited to the gathering for which special invitation cards had been selectively issued by the Pakistan High Commission in London.

The incident inside the hall coincided with a protest outside the venue, where hundreds of flag-waving protesters carried banners and shouted slogans against Zardari's visit to Britain.

The president has been criticised for travelling abroad at a time when Pakistan has been hit by the worst floods in 80 years that have affected over 12 million people.

Zardari's speech at the convention was only covered by state-run PTV, which did not beam any footage showing anyone throwing shoes at the president.

Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar too denied the incident, saying it would have been seen by the people sitting in the hall if it had occurred.

"I confirm through the media that no such incident occurred during the speech of President Asif Ali Zardari," he said.

The media could have openly reported the matter if it had any proof about it, Babar said.

Asked about the information minister's statement on the incident, Babar said the minister has already clarified and "he should not be misquoted".

The president completed his speech in 45 minutes and it was "vigorously hailed by the PPP workers sitting in the hall", Babar said.

The Jang group also claimed that Geo News channel was blocked out in parts of the country for airing the news of the man "hurling shoes" at the President.

It also claimed that the group's English and Urdu newspapers were stolen by unidentified persons early this morning and burnt.

According to the media here, Zardari is the second world leader to face a 'shoe attack' in Britain after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

In February last year, a student at Britain's prestigious Cambridge university had thrown a shoe at Wen.

On December 14, 2008, an Iraqi journalist hurled shoes at then US President George W Bush in Baghdad.

Image: A demonstrator hits a photograph of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari with his shoe before Zardari was due to speak at at a Pakistan Peoples Party rally in Birmingham | Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters