LAHORE, Nov 20: The JUP (Nifaz-i-Shariat) has condemned Punjab Minister for Auqaf Ghulam Sarwar Qadri for “providing cover to the people who had stolen holy slippers from the Badshahi Masjid.

Speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday, JUP-NS president Engineer Saleemullah Khan said the minister was trying to back the alleged thieves through different press statements.

He alleged that the minister, secretary and director of Auqaf were exploiting employees of the department by allowing them to hold meetings in their presence for the people allegedly involved in the theft.

The employees were also issuing statements on the matter violating the service rules, he regretted.

He pointed out that probe into the theft incident was being undertaken without suspending the director responsible which would mar the authenticity of the exercise.

He demanded termination of the minister, secretary and director of the auqaf department and urged Governor Khalid Maqbool to resign taking responsibility of the theft during his tenure.