Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umer has said that PTI Chief Imran Khan has told him that three people including PM Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sanauhllah are responsible for the attack on PTI long march n Gujranwala,.
According to details, PTI leaders Asad Umer and Aslam Iqbal issued a statement regarding the attack on PTI long march in Gujranwala. PTI Chief Imran Khan said that he already had some information about a possible attack on him, Asad Umer said.
Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, says “considerable anger” is mounting in the streets in the aftermath of Khan’s shooting. “We are getting preliminary reports of protesters blocking roads, burning tyres, and this of course could escalate into something big,” he said.
Hyder added that party members were convinced the attack had been orchestrated by elements within the government, but no evidence was presented.
‘Aggressive reaction’ after Khan shooting
A Pakistani political analyst says that while Khan supporters have had an “aggressive reaction” to the shooting, PTI party leaders will likely calm the situation after the “shock”.
“Imran himself spoke on whether this would be a soft revolution or a bloody one in a tweet, but so far, disorganisation aside, the long march had been pretty peaceful, but obviously, what happened today is very different,”Nobody expected it to be like this, to have gunshots fired at a former prime minister, considering just back in 2007 we lost a very popular leader through this kind of violence,” Noor told Al Jazeera.
Right now there is an immediate reaction from supporters of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf, and it is an aggressive reaction. But hopefully once the leadership recovers from the shock – because at the moment it seems they are all rushing to where the former prime minster has been taken for treatment – they will try and keep their supporters calm and prevent the kind of violence that broke out in Pakistan when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated back in 2007.”
PROTESTS ERUPT IN MULTIPLE CITIES ACROSS COUNTRY
PTI workers started demonstrations in 17 localities in the metropolis against the gun attack on Imran Khan’s container. Outrageous workers blocked roads of North Karachi’s Power House Chowrangi, whereas, a large number of PTI workers lodged a protest at Korangi Road.
A large number of PTI workers gathered at Nursery – Shahrea Faisal.
Police contingents rushed to the protest venues and started negotiations with the protestors to clear the road.
PTI workers held protest demonstrations in 10 different localities of Lahore. A large number of PTI activists reached Liberty Chowk. Another protest was organised at Murree Road.
Moreover, demonstrations were also being held at Shahdara, GPO Chowk, Babu Sabu, Shaukat Khanum Chowk, Shama Chowk, Ferozepur Road, Lakshmi Chowk, Governor House Chowk, Dubai Chowk, Raiwind Road and Bekheywal Chowk.
In Faisalabad, a large number of protestors gathered outside Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s residence. The demonstrators also blocked Jhang Road
PTI workers organised a protest under the leadership of Sadaqat Ali Abbasi. The demonstrators blocked GT Road at the location of Rawat.
Police and protestors came face-to-face in Rawalpindi’s Faizabad during the protest.
Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed at Lal Haveli after Friday prayers. PTI leaders Fayyazul Hassan Chohan and Rashid Hafeez have also announced to lodge a protest.
QUETTA
PTI protests have blocked the airport road.
MANSEHRA
PTI workers blocked the Karakorum Highway in the locality of Shinkiari UC of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mansehra district.
SKARDU
Protests were also held in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and roads were blocked on different localities. The protestors demanded the arrest of all accused involved in the gun attack on Imran Khan and PTI leaders.
MULTAN
Protests were organised on different locations in Multan. PTI workers blocked 9 Number Chowk after burning tyres on the road.
KARAK
To protest against the gun attack on Imran Khan and PTI leaders, protestors blocked Jail Chowk in Karak.
MUZAFFARABAD, AJK
PTI workers held a protest in Muzaffarabad and demanded the arrest of the attackers. PTI AJK’s general secretary demanded the government arrest the responsible for the gun attack.
JHELUM
Protests were held in three locations in the Jhelum district while protestors blocked GT Road by burning tyres and placing barriers following the sorrowful incident. Both tracks of the national highway were blocked and the protestors demanded strict action against the culprits.
PTI official shot twice will survive, senior party leader says
Senior PTI leader Hammad Azhar confirms that party member Ahmed Chattha suffered non-life threatening injuries after being shot and wounded.
“I am with Ahmed Chattha,” Azhar wrote on Twitter. “He is out of danger. He has 2 gunshot wounds, one in each thigh. The wounds are not deep and he is being operated upon to remove the bullets.”
Elections should be held after assassination attempt: Analyst
Khan’s shooting underscores growing political instability in Pakistan with both the government and the former leader refusing to back down from their positions.
The powerful military has said that while Khan had a democratic right to hold a rally in Islamabad, no one would be allowed to destabilise the country. Authorities in Islamabad have already deployed additional security around the city to deter any violence.
“The question that is being asked again and again is if we are a parliamentary system, and if this is to be a civilian government, then let the electoral process continue, let the country go to general elections,” said Asad Ramin Khan, a political analyst based in Lahore. “And what we are seeing in terms of the public’s loss of faith, I fear, will be exacerbated by today’s assassination attempt.”
