Gujranwala, Nov 3 (IANS) Chaotic scenes broke out near PTI's reception camp at Allahwala Chowk in Gujranwala after gunshots were fired at party chief Imran Khan, media reports said.
According to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Ismail, Khan has been shot in the leg "three to four" times, Dawn reported.
Speaking to Bol TV, Ismail said that he was standing next to Khan when the shots were fired in which PTI leader Faisal Javed was also injured.
He added that the attacker was directly in front of the container and was wielding an AK-47, Dawn reported.
ہماری غیرت گوراہ نہیں کرتی کہ اب ہم چپ بیٹھیں، حلف کی پاسداری کا وقت آگیا ہے، راولپنڈی کے غیور اور محب وطن پاکستانیو! علامہ اقبال پارک پہنچو-@WasiqQAbbasi #عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لاین_ہے pic.twitter.com/ZiwaZktkkK
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 3, 2022
According to Geo News, the former Prime Minister has been shifted to a hospital. Sources told Geo News that four to five PTI leaders have also sustained injuries.
According to the police, the suspect who opened fire on Khan's container has been arrested.
PTI leader Shahbaz Gill said, "Imran Khan is our red line and an attempt has been made to cross that red line."
He also said that Khan will fight till his last breath.
اتنی جلدی کپڑے واسکٹ اور شکل تبدیل ہوگئی؟ pic.twitter.com/hdV5QkduMI
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) November 3, 2022
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the firing incident in Gujranwala and directed Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to seek an immediate report from the inspector-general of police and chief secretary of Punjab.
Federal government will extend all support necessary to Punjab govt for security & investigation. Violence should have no place in our country's politics. 2/2 https://t.co/LWMUW03kQb
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 3, 2022
Khan is leading PTI's march towards Islamabad which kicked off from Lahore's Liberty Chowk on October 29. This is the PTI chief's second long march this year.
Khan, along with his supporters, is expected to stage a sit-in in Islamabad against the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government at the end of the march. PTI has not yet confirmed the date of arrival in Islamabad.
According to Khan, the protest march will continue till the date for elections is announced, The News reported.
Earlier, the plan was to reach Islamabad by November 4. It was later revised to November 8-9 and then again revised to November 11. PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry then announced the party will keep changing the date to "tire the government out".
The political instability in Pakistan has also fuelled economic uncertainty, with international rating agencies questioning if the current government can maintain difficult economic policies in the face of political pressure and looming elections, The News reported.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed PTI to ensure peace regardless of the location in Islamabad allotted to the party by the government to hold sit-in and 'jalsa'.
The observation came during the hearing of PTI's plea against the government for not issuing the party a no-objection certificate for its sit-in in Islamabad.
Elahi ordered the Inspector General (IG) Punjab police to take disciplinary action against the irresponsible officials. After the leaking of the suspect's confessional statement, the station house officer (SHO) and other officials of the concerned police station were suspended, ARY News reported.
The Chief Minister said in a statement that all mobile phones of the police station's staffers have been confiscated and they will be sent for forensic audit, the report said.
Elahi also issued directives to hold an inquiry into the incident of the video leak of the suspected attacker. He directed IG Punjab to begin a probe to ascertain the motive of the gun attack that led to Imran Khan syffering bullet injuries in his leg.
The directives were issued in an emergency session chaired by the Punjab CM.
Khan and other PTI leaders were injured after a man opened fire near the PTI reception camp at Allahwala Chowk during the party's long march.
PTI leader Faisal Javed Khan, who got injured during the attack, confirmed that a party worker or official was killed in the attack while several others were injured.
The assailant, idenfied as Faisal Butt, has confessed that the former Pakistan Prime Minister was his only target.
"I got angry with Khan for spreading hatred and misleading the people. I only wanted to kill Khan and no one else. I did this on my own will and no one told me to do so. I just got angry on Khan and wanted to kill him," Faisal could be heard as saying in the leaked video.
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