Najeeb Zafar owner of Eastern Leather Muridke was killed by a mob on false blasphemy charges by angry mob yesterday in his factory. Eastern Leather is one of 2/3 top leather exporters of Pakistan and is known for their products globally. Eastern Leather is also known for their environmental compliances for which company has made a lot of capital expenditure and efforts.
Najeeb was a hard working Pakistani industralist striving hard to maintain his leather exports. He was a five time Nimazi and a very mild guy. He was known for his hard work and honesty. It may be noted that 2 years ago he spent nearly two months in the custody of kidnappers who kidnapped him when he was going to his factory and was released after paying a very high ransom.
Local mullah declared him wajibulkatl when he changed an old calendar for a new one. This mullah incited local population to kill Najeeb from his mosque’s loud speakers. It may be remembered a couple of months ago an angry mob attacked another industralist in Faisalabad when local mulla announced from mosque’s loud speakers that one of the prints being made in his factory had a design which if seen inverted resembles the word “Mohammed”…
Industralist fear for their lives from kidnappers and mullahs in Pakistan…and face problems like law and order, power shortages, etc. etc. With this kind of situation who is going to invest and work in Pakistan…
Factory owner, worker killed in Muridke ‘desecration’ riot
Factory owner, worker killed in Muridke ‘desecration’ riot
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
By our correspondents
MURIDKE/LAHORE: A factory owner and a labourer were killed and dozens of workers injured in a leather factory on the Muridke-Sheikhupura road near Kathiala village after a factory official allegedly incited labourers by accusing the owner of desecration of the Quranic verses.
The riots broke out at 3am, when the factory workers were incited by a factory official to demonstrate against the desecration allegedly committed by Mian Najeeb Zafar, owner of Eastern Leather Factory. As a result, the labourers blocked the Muridke-Sheikhupura road, damage the factory and are reported to have resorted to firing. The deceased were identified as Mian Najeeb Zafar and a labourer Muzammal. All the injured persons were shifted to the THQ Hospital, most of them stated to be in a precarious condition.
DPO Sheikhupura Rai Tahir and SHO Muridke Sadar police station reached the spot and calmed down the labourers and manage to reopen the road after three hours.
DPO Rai Tahir confirmed the death of two persons including the factory owner and a protester. The DPO claimed that a factory official, Qasim, had provoked the workers against the factory owner over the alleged desecration of the Holy Qura’an to further his personal interest.
He explained that the factory workers confirmed that the owner had only disposed of a calendar, which had no Quranic verses, to paste a new one published for the month of Ramazan. Rai said the accused man called the Imam of the factory mosque and made announcements about sacrilege of the Holy Qura’an which led to the clash and protests.
Asked about the arrest of the accused, Rai Tahir said the protestors had fled the area. However, raids were being conducted to arrest them. The DPO said the case would be registered only after consulting legal experts.