Islamabad, Pakistan
CNN
—
Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot within the foot at a rally Thursday, in accordance with an official from his get together, which stated the incident was an assassination try.
A bullet hit Khan in his foot after a gunman opened hearth, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior chief Asad Umar stated.
The previous Pakistan cricket captain was taken from the rally website simply exterior the city of Gujranwala to obtain therapy in Lahore, round a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.
Khan is in a secure situation and present process surgical procedure, in accordance with Senator Fawad Chaudhry, a senior PTI politician and Khan’s former info minister.
Six others had been injured and are nonetheless being handled, Chaudhry stated.
Police stated they detained a person suspected of firing pictures on the rally. The male suspect was arrested with a 9mm pistol and two empty magazines, police stated.
At the very least one particular person was killed within the incident, in accordance with Faisal Javed, a senior PTI politician and shut Khan ally who acquired a wound to the pinnacle within the assault. The sufferer’s title has not been launched.
In a video assertion Javed, who may be seen sitting up whereas receiving therapy, stated: “Please pray for us, for Imran Khan, pray for our fellow employees who’re severely injured and pray for our get together member who has died and is martyred.”
Protests broke out throughout Pakistan in help of Khan, together with within the capital Islamabad in addition to in Peshawar. Khan was on the seventh day of a nationwide rally tour calling for elections to be introduced ahead from August subsequent yr.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who got here to energy after Khan misplaced a parliamentary vote of no confidence in April, condemned Thursday’s assault on his political rival on Twitter.
“I condemn the incident of firing on PTI Chairman Imran Khan within the strongest phrases,” Sharif wrote, including that he has requested for an “instant report on the incident” and can pray for the restoration of these injured.
“Violence should not have any place in our nation’s politics,” Sharif wrote.
On October 21, the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) really useful that Khan be disqualified from holding political workplace for 5 years, a transfer more likely to additional inflame political tensions within the nation.
Whereas studying out the advice, ECP chief Sikandar Sultan Raja said that Khan was disqualified for being concerned in “corrupt practices.”
The fee stated its resolution was primarily based on the grounds that Khan had “made false statements” concerning the declaration of the sale of presents despatched to him by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Dubai whereas in workplace – an offense that’s unlawful beneath the nation’s structure.
Khan was unseated in a vote of no-confidence following claims of dangerous governance and financial mismanagement.
Since then he has repeatedly claimed, with out offering any proof, that the USA had orchestrated his ouster. Khan’s allegations have turn out to be a staple at rallies he has held throughout Pakistan in a bid to return to energy.
His claims have struck a chord with a younger inhabitants in a rustic the place anti-American sentiment runs excessive, and anti-establishment emotions are being fueled by a rising value of dwelling disaster.
This isn’t the primary time that Pakistani politicians have been attacked.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007, after which Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani survived an assassination try in 2008.
