LAHORE, Nov 10:
Tens of thousands of supporters of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) today gathered at the site in Wazirabad in Punjab province where an assassination attempt was made on the former prime minister last week as the party resumed its stalled long march to Islamabad in presence of its top leaders.
The ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ (real freedom) march, demanding fresh general elections, was suspended following the attack on 70-year-old Khan on November 3.
Khan suffered bullet injuries in the right leg when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him and others standing on a container-mounted truck in the Wazirabad area, where he was leading the march.
He underwent surgery for bullet injuries at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital owned by his charitable organisation. He is advised to take rest for four to six weeks by doctors.
Addressing his supporters via a video, Khan alleged that the “plan” to assassinate him was made in September.
“This incident (…) no, this planned assassination attempt … I want to clear that this plan was made in September,” he claimed. “On September 24, I said in a public rally that this plan was formed and that they will blame a religious fanatic [for it].”
Khan, who is recovering from injuries, said that the people who wanted him dead had planned to pin his murder on a “religious fanatic”.
“They planned that if a religious fanatic kills me, the responsibility from them will go away,” he claimed.
Khan has blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal Naseer of hatching a plot to assassinate him.
He made a passionate appeal to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to look into a series of matters to put the country’s direction right during his speech.
“The nation is looking up to the CJP. Look as an ex-prime minister I cannot register an FIR regarding attack on me. Chief Justice of Pakistan… I want you to take action,” he pleaded and urged him to take notice of journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder, Senator Azam Swati’s torture and non registration of a case against suspects of attack on him.
Khan alleged that the investigation agencies are in the hands of thieves, a reference to the Sharif and Zardari families.
“Who can trust these army officers (like Maj-Gen Faisal Naseer and etc),” Khan said, adding that the nation has lost “complete trust in the institutions” and now all eyes are on the Supreme Court.
“Pakistan is going to become a banana republic as there is no rule of law (in the country)…chief justice you will have to save the country. The country’s future lies in your (CJP) hands,” Khan asserted.
Leading the march in the absence of Khan, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi earlier said that the party chairman would soon join his supporters in the long march to Islamabad. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
