Protests Planned Across Pakistan Following Gun Attack on Former PM Imran Khan
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has announced nationwide protests for Saturday in response to a gun attack against Khan, a senior party official confirmed. This announcement comes shortly after Khan postponed his anti-government march towards Islamabad.
Khan was shot in the leg on Thursday while greeting supporters from a container truck as he led a protest march to demand early elections and call for the resignation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Following the incident, Khan, who was ousted from office through a parliamentary vote of confidence in April, addressed his supporters from a hospital on Friday, assuring them that he would resume his march to the capital after recovering from what he described as an “assassination” attempt.
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As protests erupted and roads were blocked in major cities by Khan’s supporters on Friday, PTI announced its plans for demonstrations across the nation on Saturday evening. “Protest gatherings will be held in all cities of Pakistan tomorrow at 5 PM. The specific protest locations will be announced by local party chapters,” tweeted Asad Umar, a close aide to Khan. He added, “Show them that no one can suppress a truly free nation. I will personally join the protest at Liberty Chowk, Lahore.”
Arab News spoke with several of Khan’s supporters in Lahore, who emphasized their unwavering demands. “There are many fighters here; your prisons are few,” proclaimed Zafar Mehmood Bhatti, a staunch Khan supporter. “This tear gas, these bullets, these batons are nothing, tyrant. To kill us, you have very few weapons.”
Supporter Qamar Cheema declared that Khan was their “red line,” asserting, “He is the only leader who is right for Pakistan’s welfare, permanence, and progress.” Cheema criticized other leaders as corrupt, stating that none have proven beneficial for Pakistan. Another supporter, Aneesa Siddiqui, affirmed their determination to march until the government announces elections, declaring, “We will not call off the march.”
In his accusations, Khan has named three individuals he claims orchestrated the plan to assassinate him: PM Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and intelligence officer Maj. Gen. Faisal Naseer, although he has not presented evidence for these claims.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military, labeled Khan’s allegations as “baseless and irresponsible.” In a statement released on Friday, the ISPR requested that the government investigate and take legal action against those making defamatory accusations without evidence.
Sanaullah has dismissed the allegations, while PM Sharif condemned the attack on Khan and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
