Each the brand new premier and Washington have denied such allegations.
Pakistan has a decades-long historical past of political assassinations, essentially the most high-profile being that of Benazir Bhutto, who was twice prime minister and the primary democratically elected feminine chief of a Muslim nation.
She was killed by a suicide bomber in 2007 at an election rally in Rawalpindi as she was making a bid for a 3rd time period. Pakistan’s first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan was shot in 1951, additionally in Rawalpindi. Ministers, provincial governors, and senior political celebration leaders have additionally been assassinated since Pakistan was created in 1947.
In line with police, Thursday’s assault occurred within the Wazirabad district within the jap Punjab province the place Khan was touring in a big convoy of vans and automobiles heading in direction of the capital, Islamabad, as a part of his marketing campaign geared toward forcing the federal government to carry early elections.
Among the many wounded was additionally Faisal Javed, a lawmaker from Tehreek-e-Insaf. In a video assertion, with blood staining his garments, Javed insisted that Khan’s protest march to Islamabad wouldn’t cease.
District police officer Ghazanfar Ali mentioned one individual was killed and 9 others had been wounded within the assault. Inside Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan demanded a report from the police in regards to the incident and condemned the assault.
Fawad Chaudhry, a senior chief from Khan’s celebration, instructed the supporters surrounding Khan’s truck that the assault was an try on the lifetime of the nation’s former premier.
Khan — a former cricket star turned Islamist politician — has refused to again down from his positions. The nation’s highly effective navy has mentioned that though Khan had a democratic proper to carry a rally in Islamabad, nobody will probably be allowed to destabilize the nation. Authorities in Islamabad have already deployed extra safety across the metropolis to discourage any clashes or violence.
Khan with later seen with a bandage on his proper leg, simply above the foot, in keeping with stories and a blurry picture. He was moved to a different automobile from his container truck, from the place bulletins had been being made that he was protected.
“He’s being taken to a hospital in Lahore, however he isn’t critically wounded. A bullet hit him within the leg,” Umar instructed reporters. In line with the Inside Ministry, the federal government has ordered a probe into the incident.
An unspecified variety of supporters from his Tehreek-e-Insaf celebration who had been a part of the march had been additionally wounded, in keeping with the announcement from the celebration.
The assault occurred lower than per week after Khan started his march from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, together with hundreds of supporters.
Since his ouster in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April, Khan has alleged that his ouster was a conspiracy engineered by his successor, Sharif, and america — claims that each the brand new premier and Washington have denied.
Sharif’s authorities has additionally mentioned that there can be no early vote and that the subsequent elections will probably be held in keeping with schedule, in 2023.
Khan’s newest problem to the federal government comes after Pakistan’s elections fee disqualified him from holding public workplace for 5 years for allegedly promoting state items unlawfully and concealing belongings as premier.
Khan, who has challenged the disqualification in a pending courtroom case, has mentioned he would sue Chief Election Commissioner Sikandara Raja, who was behind the choice, for calling him a “dishonest individual.”
It was additionally not instantly identified if Khan’s convoy would proceed on to Islamabad. Earlier, Chaudhry had mentioned they plan to enter Islamabad on Friday.
The assault additionally comes at a time when impoverished Pakistan is grappling with the aftermath of unprecedented floods that struck this Islamic nation over the summer season, killing 1,735 folks and displacing 33 million.