Pakistan clerics hit by food poisoning 'attack'
By Syed Shoaib Hasan
BBC News, Islamabad
The non-radical Muslim community has been increasingly targeted
Several senior Pakistani clerics and leaders of religious parties have been admitted to hospital after falling ill from eating contaminated sweetmeats. Officials say they suspect the poisoning may have been deliberate.
Pakistani clerics have in recent months been targeted in several bombings and have upset the Taliban by issuing injunctions against militancy.
The poisoning happened as clerics prepared for a conference called by the ministry of religious affairs.
The agenda of the conference was to get the clerics to issue a joint statement against the rise of anti-government militancy.
At least 10 senior leaders were affected, including Liaquat Baloch, deputy head of the Jamaat-e-Islami, and Mufti Munib-ur-Rahman, head of one of Pakistan's top religious committees.
'Intended target'
"The meeting was being held at my residence when the incident happened," Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri told the BBC.
"At least 12 people were taken sick and we had to rush them to hospital."
Maulana Haideri said the sweets had been laid out for the guests by his cook.
"He later told me they had been brought in last night by someone as a gift."
Maulana Haideri explained that he had just arrived back from the Haj pilgrimage, and several people had brought in sweets as a token of congratulation.
He also said that he believed that he was the intended target of the attack, but had not eaten the poisoned sweetmeats.
Meanwhile another politician who was present at the meeting, former parliamentarian Shah Abdul Aziz, said that he believed the attack was part of an ongoing conspiracy against moderate clerics.
BBC News - Pakistan clerics hit by food poisoning 'attack'
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