LONDON: A group of unidentified men attempted to forcibly enter the office of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in London in an incident dubbed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as cowardly and sinister.

PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif on Twitter wrote: “Strongly condemn [the] cowardly attempt to barge into the office of Hussain Nawaz where Mian Nawaz Sharif was also present. They seemed to be armed and clearly had a sinister design but thankfully, could not succeed. London police must investigate the incident from all angles.”

A source in the party told Dawn the incident occurred on Thursday, after which the family informed the police. According to the source, four men, three of whom were wearing hoodies and masks, attempted to enter the Sharif family office on the pretext that they had an appointment with Mr Sharif. When the staff told them there was no such appointment, the men “became aggressive and forcibly attempted to enter”.

The men left in a car after Mr Sharif’s security detail and workers of the party who were present at the office premises on Stanhope Place approached.

“They were not Pakistani, it appeared as if they had been paid by someone to harass Nawaz Sharif,” the source added.

Condemning the incident, Maryam Nawaz on Twitter said the episode was akin to “criminality” and will “not silence Nawaz Sharif”.

In September last year, after Mr Sharif made a fiery speech against the security establishment’s alleged interference in governance, protesters had gathered outside his family’s residential apartments in Avenfield House and hurled abuses.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2021