Imran Khan, the former Pakistan Prime Minister was wounded in an evident “assassination” attempt at his rally after a gunman opened fire on Thursday, November 3, in the Wazirabad district of Punjab province. His party spokesperson said that Imran Khan has been taken to a hospital.
Imran Khan got attacked while holding a protest march
Pakistan’s dismissed Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was wounded in a gun attack while holding a protest march on his convoy, in the eastern city of Wazirabad. He was injured in the leg when the burst of gunfire struck his vehicle. At least five people including Imran Khan got injured and one person was even killed in the firing at the rally.
The lone attacker’s identity has not been ascertained, but he was arrested immediately.
No group claimed the culpability for the attempt of “assassination” on Imran Khan who has been holding across Pakistan, the anti-government rally. There was no official comment immediately on the intention for the attack which was an assassination bid says allies.
“He (Mr. Khan) was misleading the people”, said the attacker
The protest marches to demand early elections had been called.
Mr. Khan who’s 70 years old, was leading the march, which was going to end in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad.
The former international cricket star who turned into a politician was seen to be taken to a hospital in Lahore. He had been hit in the shin, said a party spokesperson.
An official from his PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) party, provincial health minister Yasmeen Rashid said, he was in stable condition.
A video confession was released by police of a man they arrested who had attempted to kill the former prime minister according to them.
It is not clear that the interview was carried out under what conditions but it was when police asked the man why he opened fire. He replied by saying, “He was misleading the people”. Hence, he wanted to kill him and therefore he tried to kill him.
Video footage from the place shows Mr. Khan and his supporters being towed by a lorry on a shipping container before a blowout of gunfire is heard. Mr. Khan was then seen ducking, as those who were around him tried to cover him to protect him. Another video showed a conscious Mr. Khan being taken away in a vehicle with a bandage on his right leg after the shooting incident.
“An atrocious assassination attempt”
A PTI member said that people should pray for Mr. Khan and all those wounded, is also seen with blood on his clothing and a bandage on his face.
Mr. Khan’s senior aide Raoof Hasan said, “This was an attempt to kill him and to assassinate him”.
Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation and condemned the shooting. President Arif Alvi said that the incident was an “atrocious assassination attempt”.
Zora Bangash, a local journalist who saw the attack told a news agency, “It all initiated when Mr. Khan was leading the rally and suddenly there were gunshots heard and the moment when we all realized there was a person seen with a pistol in his hand, it was a 9mm pistol and the moment the shots fired by him, unfortunately, landed on few of the PTI leadership and shot in the leg of Mr. Khan, and the person was arrested by a PTI follower who was seen standing next to him”. The person was apprehended and taken away, he added.
Government to hold elections next year
Mr. Khan has been leading a protest march which is the second such rally this year and is going on calling for new elections, for the past seven days. As planned, The government has constantly said it will hold elections this coming year.
Pakistan’s election commission last month disqualified Mr. Khan from having a public office in a case described as politically motivated by the former star cricketer.
He had been accused of wrongly declaring from foreign dignitaries details of gifts and goes on from their alleged sale. The gifts included a ring, Rolex watches, and a pair of cufflinks.
Pakistan has a very long history of dangerous political violence
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in the most high-profile case, was assassinated in 2007, at a public rally.
Pakistan’s Media regulatory authority forbids news channels from airing statements of Asad Umar on Imran’s attack.
The Pakistan Electronic and Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has prohibited news outlets from showing PTI leader Asad Umar’s video in which he named “three suspects” who were accountable for the attack on the PTI’s convoy, according to Imran Khan, in Wazirabad today.
