Imran Khan accuses Pakistani authorities of plotting to assassinate him


Islamabad, Pakistan
CNN

Tensions in Pakistan escalated on Friday as former Prime Minister Imran Khan accused the establishment of plotting to kill him – a claim vehemently denied by government and security officials.

A day after the shooting at a political rally outside the town of Gujranwala in Punjab province, Khan was recovering from his injuries in a rambling speech at a hospital in the city of Lahore. While in a wheelchair, the cricket star-turned-politician cited three senior figures as behind the attack.

The former Pakistani leader suffered a fractured right leg from a stray bullet. Faisal Sultan told reporters. Sultan showed an X-ray of Khan’s fractured right leg, as well as fragments of bullets stuck on either side of his thigh.

Without providing evidence, Khan blamed Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanura and senior intelligence officer Major General Faisal. CNN is reaching out to the three men for comment.

Khan first claimed on Thursday that the three were responsible for the conspiracy, in a statement shared by senior PTI leader Assad Omar, who said he had spoken to Khan recently.

In a televised address on Thursday, Sanura rejected the accusation, calling it “sad.”

Pakistan’s military media on Friday condemned Khan’s claims, calling them “baseless and irresponsible allegations” and threatening legal action.

“No one shall be allowed to defame the agency or its soldiers with impunity. With this in mind, the Pakistani government has been asked to investigate the matter and slander and falsely accuse the agency and its officers without any evidence. people to take legal action,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Pakistan’s intelligence agency also rejected Khan’s claims that a senior intelligence official was behind the shooting, with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) telling CNN in a statement that the allegations were “baseless.”

“This is an attempt to bias the investigation from the outset. The group has made the federal government aware of the threat to the former prime minister, who has communicated the matter to the Punjab government,” the statement read.

Former Pakistani leader Imran Khan was photographed at a rally earlier this week.

ISI also said Khan’s security is under the jurisdiction of the Punjab provincial government, which is led by Khan’s Pakistan Justice Movement Party (PTI).

“The shooting is a security lapse by the Punjab government and cannot be blamed on any individual or any security agency. What is needed now is for the nation to remain calm and not make irresponsible remarks,” ISI said in a statement.

Khan said he knew about the plot to kill him the day before the incident and claimed two gunmen were involved in his attack.

“It erupted from one side and the other came from the front. There were two people,” Khan said of the attack.

Khan has maintained an adversarial relationship with the government since his dramatic ouster in a vote of no confidence in April. During that time, he repeatedly claimed, without any evidence, that the United States was behind his loss of power.

Thursday’s attack killed one person, injured several and sparked protests from Khan’s supporters.

Video of the alleged attack showed Khan waving from an open truck as gunfire rang out and his party members took cover.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Assad Omar said a bullet hit Khan in the leg, adding later: “Yes, he was shot with a projectile in his leg. , his bones were shattered and he was shot in his thigh.”

A man suspected of shooting at the rally was detained on Thursday, according to police.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information released a video showing a video of a confession from an unnamed man who allegedly carried out the attack.

Khan called on citizens to protest the three officials he planned to attack until they resigned.

“As long as these three don’t resign, you have to protest against injustice, you have to jihad against them, and jihad means against injustice,” Khan said on Friday.

Khan said he would resume the so-called Long March to Islamabad once he recovered from the shooting, calling for early elections. He is on the seventh day of his national tour, which begins in Lahore on October 28 and ends in Islamabad after passing through several Pakistani cities.

It was one of many rallies the former Pakistan cricket captain has held since stepping down in April.

Thursday’s incident was not the first time a Pakistani politician has been attacked.

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on 27 December 2007, and then Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani survived an assassination attempt in 2008.

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