Imran Khan sustained a bullet injury when an unidentified gunman opened fire on the container-mounted-truck carrying him during his protest rally in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Khan, 70, was hit in the right leg, according to Geo TV footage.
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was shot at during his protest march in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Thursday. What exactly has happened, and what’s next for Pakistan?
What happened to Imran Khan?
According to media reports, Imran Khan sustained a bullet injury when an unidentified gunman opened fire on the container-mounted-truck carrying him during his protest rally in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Khan, 70, was hit in the right leg, according to Geo TV footage. He has been shifted to a hospital and is out of danger, the channel said. Three other leaders were also injured, according to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry.
What the alleged assailant said
In a video uploaded by Pakistan journalist Hamid Mir, a man who claims to be the assailant said he wanted to kill Imran Khan as the former PM is “misleading people.”
“I wanted to eliminate him because he (Imran Khan) was misleading the people. I tried to shoot him and nobody else. I made the decision when he left from Lahore. I acted alone, nobody else is involved,” the alleged shooter was heard saying in the video.
Where was the rally headed to?
The incident occurred near Allahwala Chowk of Wazirabad town of Punjab. The long march commenced on October 28 from Lahore and is expected to reach the capital city, Islamabad, on November 4, covering nearly 380 km over a week’s time.
Why is the rally being held?
Dubbing the rally as one of the “biggest freedom movements” in Pakistan, Khan had said that he was marching to press the government to announce elections immediately. The move came days after Pakistan’s Election Commission disqualified Khan from holding public office for five years on the charge of hiding proceeds from the sale of gifts he received from foreign leaders.
What does the police say on the incident?
Geo TV reported that one person has been arrested from the spot and the police shifted him to an unknown location. Meanwhile, the police shifted Imran Khan to a bullet-proof vehicle from the container he was riding in at the time of the attack.
Imran does not seem to have been hurt very badly. A video put out by his party showed him on his feet, waving to supporters with what appeared to be a smile on his face. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on its official Twitter handle that he was “stable”.
