One report states Imran Khan was attacked from three sides, police searching for gunmen
PAKISTAN’S controversial former prime minister Imran Khan was shot in the leg when a man opened fire on Thursday at a campaign truck in Khan’s protest march to Islamabad. The attack occurred in the Wazirabad district in Punjab province and Khan was taken to a hospital in Lahore.
One of his supporters was killed and seven others were wounded. One of those wounded was Faisal Javed, a lawmaker from Khan’s party Tehreek-e-Insaf.
The gunman was arrested at the scene.
Traffic jams were reported across Karachi after PTI supporters in huge numbers took to the streets in protest against the attack, Dawn.com reported.
Meanwhile, Dr Faisal Sultan, the former assistant to the prime minister on health, said that Imran Khan’s condition was stable.
“But according to X-rays and scans, there are fragments of bullets in his legs and there’s a chip in his tibia shin bone,” he told media persons outside the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore.
Sultan added that Imran has been moved to the operation theater for further evaluation and removal of bullet fragments.
Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, said in a statement: “The United States strongly condemns the shooting of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and others at a political rally. We wish Imran Khan and all others who were injured a quick and thorough recovery, and we offer our condolences to the family of the individual who was killed.”
He added: “Violence has no place in politics, and we call on all parties to refrain from violence, harassment, and intimidation. The United States is deeply committed to a democratic and peaceful Pakistan, and we stand with the Pakistani people.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “The attack on @ImranKhanPTI and his supporters is completely unacceptable, and I strongly condemn this violence. It has no place in politics, in any democracy, or in our society. I’m wishing a speedy recovery to Imran and all who were injured today.”
IANS from Lahore reports:
The attack on former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Imran (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Wazirabad on Thursday was launched from three different directions in which at least three individuals were involved, the police said, according to a media report.
The police and eyewitnesses said that the bullets were fired from three different directions. One of the assailants, they said, fired on Khan’s container from the roof of a nearby workshop, Samaa TV reported.
Earlier, it had been claimed that there was only one attacker who was apprehended by a member of the crowd. He was identified as Naveed ‘Thua’ (Punjabi slang for scorpion), the report said.
He confessed to launching the attack unilaterally in a confessional video statement recorded and released by the police.
The suspect has been sent to the Saddar police station in Gujrat. The police said that they had recovered a 9 mm handgun from the suspect along with four magazines.
Another man has been arrested by the Punjab Police for the attack on the PTI chief.
Meanwhile, the Punjab police have said that they are searching for a third person with a search operation launched in the area using sniffer dogs, Samaa TV reported.
The police have sealed the area where the attack took place. They have also cordoned off the PTI container with forensic officials collecting evidence.
Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has taken notice of leaking the suspected attacker’s confessional statement after the gun attack on Khan during the long march in Gujranwala, ARY News reported.
Elahi ordered the Inspector General (IG) Punjab police to take disciplinary action against the irresponsible officials. After the leaking of the suspect’s confessional statement, the station house officer (SHO) and other officials of the concerned police station were suspended, the report said.
The Chief Minister said in a statement that all mobile phones of the police station’s staffers have been confiscated and they will be sent for forensic audit, the report said.
Elahi also issued directives to hold an inquiry into the incident of the video leak of the suspected attacker. He directed IG Punjab to begin a probe to ascertain the motive of the gun attack that led to Imran Khan syffering bullet injuries in his leg.
The directives were issued in an emergency session chaired by the Punjab CM.
Khan and other PTI leaders were injured after a man opened fire near the PTI reception camp at Allahwala Chowk during the party’s long march.
PTI leader Faisal Javed Khan, who got injured during the attack, confirmed that a party worker or official was killed in the attack while several others were injured.
The assailant has confessed that the former Pakistan Prime Minister was his only target.
“I got angry with Khan for spreading hatred and misleading the people. I only wanted to kill Khan and no one else. I did this on my own will and no one told me to do so. I just got angry on Khan and wanted to kill him,” he could be heard as saying in the leaked video.
