Imran Khan alleges top Pakistan officials are behind plot to kill him

 

Pakistan's government denies any involvement and blames the assassination attempt on a gunman fueled by religious extremism.

 

Sitting in a wheelchair -his right leg in a cast and left leg heavily bandaged - Khan spoke for over an hour in his first speech after the attack. (Youtube/@ptiofficial) 

 

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has accused top Pakistan government officials of involvement in a plot to kill him as he recovers in hospital from gunshot wounds following an assassination attempt.

Khan claimed on Friday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a senior intelligence official were allegedly involved in the attack.

"These three decided to kill me," Khan said in his first public appearance since Thursday's attack, adding that two gunman were involved.

The government has denied any part, and blamed the assassination attempt on a gunman fueled by religious extremism.

Sanaullah, talking to a local TV channel, stated that these claims were all lies, adding that Khan has not provided a "single proof" for his claims.

The attack on Khan's convoy killed one man and wounded at least 10, 

significantly raising the stakes in a political crisis that has gripped the South Asian nation since Khan's ousting in April.

The 70-year-old former international cricket star had been leading a campaign convoy of thousands since last week from Lahore to the capital Islamabad.

Earlier, protests were held for the second consecutive day around the country after Friday afternoon prayers, the most important of the week, with police deploying tear gas in several cities to control crowds.

Khan was looking out at the crowd when bullets were sprayed at his modified container truck as it slowly inched through a thick crowd in Wazirabad, around 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of Islamabad.

Interior Minister Sanaullah said the attack was "a very clear case of religious extremism".

"The allegations made by the accused in the video are very alarming and very terrifying," he said at a press conference. 

 Decades of political instability 

The accused, named by Punjab government officials as Naveed Ahmad, comes from a poor village near the rally site where Khan was shot.

Pakistan has been no stranger to assassination attempts during decades of political instability.

Pakistan's first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was shot dead at a rally in Rawalpindi in 1951. Another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, was killed in 2007 when a huge bomb detonated near her vehicle as she greeted supporters in the city of Rawalpindi.

Khan's campaign truck has become a crime scene for now, cordoned off and guarded by commandos as forensic experts comb the area. 

Khan was ousted from office in April by a no-confidence vote after defections by some of his coalition partners, but he retains huge support.

Khan has repeatedly told supporters he was prepared to die for the country, and aides have long warned of unspecified threats made on his life.

The attack drew international condemnation including from the United States and Türkiye. 

 Source: TRTWorld and agencies 

 

 

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(With input from news agency language)

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