Summary
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan shot in the shin
Was leading march on Islamabad to demand snap elections
‘It was a clear assassination attempt,’ says aide
Pakistan has long history of political violence
White House condemns attack on Khan.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot in the shin on Thursday when his anti-government protest convoy came under attack in the east of the country in what his aides said was a clear assassination attempt by his rivals.
A bullet hit Khan 70-year-old leader of opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party after a gunman opened fire, said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Asad Umar, who later added:
“Yes, he has been shot, there are pellets lodged in his leg, his bone has been chipped, he has also been shot in his thigh.”
The gun attack in Wazirabad town, central Punjab province, left at least one person dead and 14 others wounded, including the former prime minister.
Khan was transported to a hospital in Lahore, the capital of Punjab, about 150 kilometers from the site of the attack, where doctors said he was in a stable condition, according to the aide.
Video footage showed a gunman firing from the ground at Khan who was atop a purpose-built truck leading the protest march.
Witnesses said that a participant quickly attempted to overpower the suspected shooter while he was still firing with his automatic weapon and fatally hit a marcher.
Police later took the suspected assailant into custody. In a purported video confession later released to reporters, the suspect said his only mission was to kill Khan for “misleading” the public.
The former Pakistan cricket captain was taken from the rally site just outside the town of Gujranwala to receive treatment in Lahore, around a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.
He is currently out of danger and in a stable condition, Umar added.
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