Imran Khan was misleading people, couldn’t tolerate it, says man who shot former Pakistan PM

Khan’s party men said the whole leadership would have been wiped out of the attacker was not stopped in time.

Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan addresses his supporters to pressure the government to announce new elections in Lahore, on 28 October 2022 | Reuters/Akhtar Soomro

New Delhi: Imran Khan was misleading people, the man who shot the former Pakistan Prime Minister and injured him in the leg told a television channel.

‘I couldn’t tolerate it, and therefore, shot him. I tried to kill him… only Imran Khan and no one else. It was a recent decision, taken the day he set off from Lahore,” the alleged attacker said, as seen on TV.

The Punjab Police, according to Dawn, has said that one person was killed during the attack on Khan and seven others injured. The deceased has been identified as Muazzam Nawaz.

Khan began his seven-day “Haqeeqi Azadi Long March” in a container from Lahore last Friday and was to reach Islamabad in a few days. The former premier, who was ousted via a no-confidence vote in April, has been demanding early elections.

The perpetrator said he acted alone and came in a bike to the site of the attack in Wazirabad, through which Khan’s anti-government convoy was passing.

Meanwhile, Khan has been shifted to the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore for treatment.

Prime Minister Shehaz Sharif condemned the attack on Khan, and directed the Interior Minister to prepare an immediate report on the incident.

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also “strongly condemned the attack” and was praying for Khan’s quick recovery.

Pakistan President Arif Alvi slammed the “heinous assassination attempt” on the “brave” Khan. “I have sought immediate reports from authorities. I pray for his speedy recovery & of all those injured. My condolences to family of deceased political worker who died during the incident,” he tweeted.

Three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, Omer Meyer, Rashid and Faisal Javed, were injured in the firing.

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry told Reuters: “It was a clear assassination attempt. Khan was hit but he’s stable. There was a lot of bleeding.”

“If the shooter had not been stopped by people there, the entire PTI leadership would have been wiped out,” he added.