In hospital press talk, wounded but defiant Imran Khan promises to take to streets again
In his initial remarks, Imran Khan said that he received four bullets in the gun attack during PTI’s long march in Wazirabad and Dr Faisal Sultan will give a briefing about his injuries.
Dr Faisal Sultan disclosed the X-rays of Imran Khan and said that the bullets also fractured a bone in Khan’s right leg. He said that a bullet hit near an artery in Imran Khan’s right leg and it would be difficult to control the blood flow if the artery was damaged.
The former premier reiterated that a US under-secretary had threatened the Pakistani envoy during the PTI government to remove him from his office, otherwise, the country would face severe consequences. He alleged that the consciences of the lawmakers were auctioned to make the no-confidence motion successful.
He said that the current rulers had thoughts that the nationals will hold celebrations after his ouster from Prime Minister’s Office but the outcomes were very different as they held massive protests.
Sitting in a wheelchair with his legs bandaged, ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, wounded in a gun attack on his protest convoy, said on Friday he blamed the assault on three officials: Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and ISI director-general for counter intelligence, Major General Faisal Naseer, promising to take to the streets again once he recovered.
Khan was holding a press talk at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital in Lahore, a day after he was shot in the legs on Thursday as he waved to crowds from a truck-mounted container from which he was leading a protest march on the capital, Islamabad, to press for early elections and the resignation of PM Sharif.
“As soon as I am better, I will go out on the streets again, I will again give a call [for a protest march],” a defiant Khan said.
Speaking about what he called a plot to kill him, Khan said:
“Three people made the plan,” naming Sharif, Sanaullah and Nasser.
“I want to ask [army chief] General [Qamar Javed] Bajwa, will your honor rise or fall if you take action against people who inflict violence on people?“
“Hatred will grow,” Khan warned, if the three officials he had named were not held accountability.
“Until these three people resign, how will there be an investigation?“
He warned the army chief that these “black sheep” were harming the Pakistan army.
“Don’t treat humans like animals. They will stand up at some point. And this nation has stood up,” Khan said. “There will either be a peaceful revolution or a bloody revolution.”
As Khan spoke, supporters of the former Pakistani prime minister staged nationwide protests, blocking key roads in major cities and clashing with police and security forces.
Khan’s supporters began gathering early on Friday at the place where he was shot in eastern Pakistan and urged the former premier — known by millions around the world as a former star cricket player and captain of the national team — to resume his march on Islamabad.
In the eastern city of Lahore, where Khan is undergoing treatment, groups of protesters burnt tires and blocked major roads at major areas of the city.
They also gathered outside the fortified office of the Punjab provincial governor and pelted the gate with stones, destroying security cameras and barriers, TV footage showed.
Local news channels also showed police using tear gas in Islamabad and Karachi to disperse protesters who had blocked roads.
Pakistan is on the edge — Imran Khan’s shooting could tip it over
Thursday’s assassination attempt on former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was shocking, if not surprising. In a rally in his home constituency of Mianwali in early October, he had asserted that he had information of a plan to kill him. If it were to happen, a video revealing those names would be released, he said, adding that the motive would be religious.
A confessional video of the alleged gunman on Thursday, Naveed Ahmed, appears to support Khan’s accusation. A resident of the area where the rally was attacked, he offered no remorse, instead regretting that he did not manage to kill Khan, who received a bullet wound to his leg.
“Imran Khan thinks he is the Prophet,” Ahmed said. On his phone reportedly were videos of the leader of the extreme-right political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP). The TLP has weaponised blasphemy for votes and protests, with assassinations embedded in its DNA.
But the story of Thursday’s firing did not start with Ahmed: it’s murkier than it seems
He has also accused members of the top and mid-tier military brass of being traitors for supporting the “crooks” in power and ordering the torture of key aides. But he held off announcing a march during backchannel talks with the army under General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who is on an extension in his tenure. Khan’s subsequent announcement of the march indicated that those talks had broken down. It was clear that the focus of Khan’s onslaught had shifted from the usual political rivals, to also include his former benefactors — the military
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s repeated fallouts with the military have led to a coup and two exiles. Benazir Bhutto was removed from power several times with the assistance of the military. While Bhutto’s killers were allegedly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Musharraf acknowledged potential state involvement in her death. He was declared a fugitive in her murder case. The subsequent investigation smacked of a cover-up.
Since the attempt on Khan’s life, there have been pockets of protests across Pakistan, most notably in front of the Peshawar Corps commander’s residence. In a video message on behalf of Imran Khan, senior PTI leader Asad Umar accused a serving general of being behind the attack, as well as Shehbaz Sharif, the current prime minister. PTI’s former information minister Fawad Chaudhry has called for revenge. Khan may no longer have the army on his side, but he certainly has both popular support and a wave of sympathy,
Khan alleged that his assassination was planned behind closed doors.
