Ex-Pakistan leader Imran Khan shot in ‘assassination attempt’

World

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been shot in the leg in what his supporters say was an assassination attempt.

A gunman opened fire while Mr Khan, 70, was giving a speech at a rally in Wazirabad in Punjab province on Thursday, wounding him and some of his supporters, officials said.

Sky’s Cordelia Lynch, who was at the scene, said a Sky News producer saw the injured politician emerge from his container truck.

“My cameraman Duncan Sharp and I were sitting inside the container Imran Khan was on top of, when we suddenly heard screams,” she said.

Mr Khan was rushed away from the scene to hospital and his supporters said he had survived the assassination attempt.

Pic: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf/AP
Image:
Pic: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party/AP

The former cricketer – who has been pushing for new elections after being ousted from power in April – has been delivering fiery speeches at gatherings across the country.

He was six days into a march from Lahore to Islamabad in his drive to bring early elections to the country, pushing for radical change, when the shooting took place.

More on Imran Khan

Large crowds had gathered to hear him speak – and Lynch said she had just interviewed him about threats of violence – when there was a “sudden commotion”.

She said: “The door flew open and we were faced with a panicked-looking crowd. Some were shouting, “Imran Khan is dead”, others were asking: “Is he dead? Is he dead?

“Armed police started running towards us. Ambulances were screeching into the area. I saw one bloodied man carried into the ambulance and then another.”

“The injured were taken into an ambulance… a lot of panic… people rushing. No one could quite work out what was happening,” said Lynch.

“Then Imran Khan emerged. He had been shot, I understand, in the left leg.

“In fact, our producer here, Muhammad, was able to see that.

“Imran Khan was taken away… a doctor, who was close by, treated three patients.”

PTI party leader Faisal Javed was among the injured.

“Imran Khan and Faisal Javed received bullets wounds. A bullet hit Imran Khan’s shin. Both have been taken to hospital for treatment,” said PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry.

The scene of the assassination attempt

Mr Javed, who had blood stains on his clothes, told Geo TV from the hospital: “Several of our colleagues are wounded. We heard that one of them is dead.”

Officials said the gunman had been arrested at the scene.

Lynch added: “This was the worst case scenario – what so many people were concerned about was that this peaceful protest had the potential to turn violent.

“This is a very real dramatic turn of events, and you could really feel the fear. An hour before we had seen people throwing up confetti.

“A lot of people in the crowd were instantly in tears and were very worried about what had happened to him.”

The scene of the assassination attempt

Mr Khan had been traveling in a large convoy of trucks and cars heading towards the capital, as part of his campaign.

“This is not for politics or personal gain, or to topple the government… this is to bring genuine freedom to the country,” Mr Khan said in a video message on the eve of the march.

Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif, Mr Khan’s successor, condemned the shooting and has ordered an immediate investigation.

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