President Asif Ali Zardari addresses a meeting in Islamabad.—AFP/File photo

ISLAMABAD: Police stopped two good Samaritans in their tracks on virtuous missions in the city's high security Red Zone Tuesday afternoon and sent them back home.

Mohammad Sharif, 90, was out to “teach” President Asif Ali Zardari “good deeds of Islam”, and Kamal Khan, 60, to deliver a fat file of complaints to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry when police stopped them.

They were brought to the Secretariat police station for questioning where Dawn reporter met them.

“I am a preacher and have translated the holy Quran,” explained coherent Mr Sharif from Bhagwanpura, a village near Gujranwala city.

But why on earth come to preach the president? Why not begin with your own folks first?

“I did that, but the folks said reform the men at the top and the people below would reform themselves,” replied the sage.

It was difficult to understand the other man on a mission, however. Kamal Khan from Kotli Sattian, near Murree, was incoherent and fidgety. He insisted on delivering personally his fat file to the Chief Justice of Pakistan but was finally persuaded to let the police do it for him.

Eventually, the Secretariat police took the two men to Faizabad bus terminus and put them on buses to their hometowns - with some money for meals on the way.

Police officers told Dawn they come across such “nut cases” in the Red Zone routinely.

Mentally handicapped Ataullah of Mianwali has been a regular visitor for some months, according to them.

His demand is that President Zardari leave his seat for him because he is the legitimate head of state.

And he wants the United Nations to pass a resolution to restore him the office. Once he was put in Adiala Jail, perhaps to bring him to senses but to no avail.

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