ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders on Thursday said that former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan believes that the attack on him in which bullets were fired was carried out at the behest of three people including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the country’s Interior Minister and a top ISI General and his remarks were based on information he had received.
“A short while ago, Imran Khan told us to issue this statement on his behalf. He believes there are three people on whose behest this was done- Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah and Maj Gen Faisal. He said he was receiving information and is saying this on that basis,” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Asad Umar and Mian Aslam Iqbal said.
Rana Sanaullah is Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Major General Faisal Naseer is Director General (C) ISI.
The PTI leaders also said that Imran Khan’s condition is stable and he is out of danger.
Asad Umar, who is general secretary PTI said in a video posted by the party, that “the three people should be removed from their posts”.
“I talked to Imran Khan as there were reports we were receiving that Imran Khan is in danger. However, he said we should leave this to Allah. Imran Khan demanded that these three people should be removed from their posts. We are waiting for Imran Khan’s nod. If these people are not removed there will be countrywide protests,” he said.
“Imran Khan was shot in the leg. His CT scan has been done. If anyone had the slightest doubt it should have been cleared today as Imran Khan was saying again and again that he, for the freedom of this nation, is ready to sacrifice his life,” he added.
The suspect caught by police in Pakistan for opening fire during the PTI’s long march has said he wanted to kill former Prime Minister Imran Khan because “he was misleading the public,” media reports said.
Imran Khan was injured in a firing incident near his container in Wazirabad in Pakistan’s Punjab province during his long march against the ruling coalition, reported ARY News.
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When the police asked why he committed the crime, the shooter said, “Imran Khan was misleading people and I could not tolerate it so I tried to kill him. I tried my best to kill him. I tried killing only Imran Khan and no one else.”
“I thought of this as there was Azaan going on and on the other side, Imran Khan is taking out his container and making noise. My conscience did not approve of this. I decided this suddenly… I conspired against Imran Khan from the day he kicked off his long march from Lahore. I made up my mind that I will not leave him alive,” the shooter said according to a video shared on social media.
Responding to whether there was someone else in the conspiracy, the shooter said, “I have conspired this alone and no one else is involved in this. I came on a bike and I parked it at my uncle’s shop. He has a motorcycle showroom.”
The Punjab police have confirmed that seven people were injured and a person was killed during the firing incident. As per the police, the deceased has been identified as Muazzam Nawaz, reported Dawn.
Pakistan Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has urged Punjab police to immediately cordon off the crime scene and seal Imran Khan’s container for investigation purposes.
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has also condemned the firing incident on PTI chief Imran Khan and the party members.
Earlier, Faisal Javed Khan, a Senator of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who was injured in “the firing incident” near the container carrying Imran Khan during the long march, said it was an “assassination attempt” on the former Pakistan Prime Minister, according to media reports.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sought a report from Interior Minister. He also directed the Interior Minister to get a report from the Punjab Chief Secretary and IGP Punjab.
Imran Khan started long march last week towards Islamabad and had targeted the country’s spy chief and accused him of holding a “political presser”. He had also targeted a few other officers.