One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan is stable after shooting
A woman places bouquet over the wall of a hospital where former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is being treated for a gunshot wound in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.
(
K.M. Chaudhry
/
AP
)
Updated November 4, 2022 at 4:52 AM ET
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan is in a stable condition after being shot and wounded during a protest march, a senior leader from his party said Friday.
Khan's protest march and rallies were peaceful until Thursday afternoon's attack, raising concerns about growing political instability in Pakistan, a country with a history of political violence and assassinations.
One of Khan's supporters was killed and 13 others, including two lawmakers, were wounded in the attack.
"There is no doubt about it," said Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader from Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf party. "We are convinced that it was a well-planned assassination attempt on Pakistan's most popular leader Imran Khan, who is now in stable condition at the Shaukat Khanum hospital in Lahore after undergoing surgery there."
He said the party leadership was meeting in Lahore later Friday. "We will announce today exactly when our march will resume from Wazirabad," Chaudhry told The Associated Press. He provided no further details, but Khan's party in a brief statement urged supporters to hold nationwide rallies to condemn the shooting.
Asad Umar, a senior figure from Khan's party, blamed the shooting on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the country's interior minister, and an army general without offering any evidence.
Sponsored message
The government called the allegation baseless, saying it has ordered a high-level probe and that the attacker is being questioned.
Police are still questioning the alleged attacker, who is shown in a video saying he carried out the shooting and acted alone.
The attack took place as the former cricket star-turned-politician was traveling in a large protest convoy of trucks and cars toward Islamabad. Video footage show him and his team ducking for cover on top of a vehicle as gunfire rings out.
Khan, 70, is likely to be allowed to go home soon, according to Faisal Sultan, who is heading the team of doctors who treated Khan. He told reporters Thursday that Khan's surgery continued for two hours, and he had a bullet wound in his right leg.
He maintains that his April ouster from Parliament was unlawful and a conspiracy by his political opponents orchestrated by the United States, a charge denied by both Washington and Sharif.
Khan wants the government to announce snap elections. He led the protest from Lahore beginning last Friday along with thousands of supporters, saying his protest will continue until his demands are accepted. Pakistan says elections will take place as scheduled in 2023.
His supporters rallied overnight in different parts of the country after the shooting.
Sponsored message
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
