Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan Thursday claimed that two plans were made to murder him, accusing the PML-N-led government of devising the failed assassination plot, while demanding the formation of a powerful committee, under Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s supervision, to probe the Wazirabad assassination bid.
Last year in Nov, a PTI worker died and 14 others, including the former prime minister and PTI leaders, were injured in the attack at Wazirabad’s Allahwala Chowk, where the party’s “Haqeeqi Azadi”’ march against the federal government had stopped on its way to Islamabad.
Addressing the nation, the ex-premier — who is still recovering from his bullet injuries — called for a “powerful” body backed by the chief justice of Pakistan to probe the incident as he talked about the findings of the joint investigation team (JIT), saying that after the failure of plan A, plan B was made under which Salman Taseer-type murder plot was hatched to put the blame of my murder on religious fanatics.
Questions posed by Chairman PTI @ImranKhanPTI regarding the assassination attempt : pic.twitter.com/aSttasj5LJ
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 5, 2023
PTI chief said PML-N leaders Javed Latif, Maryam Nawaz, Rana Sanaullah, and Khawaja Asif accused him of hurting the religious sentiments of the masses through press conferences ahead of the assassination attempt.
An official privy to the findings of the JIT was quoted as saying in Dawn.com that shots were fired by “three unknown shooters, from unknown weapons” from a considerable height other than the gun attack carried out by the suspect, Naveed Meher, arrested from the spot.
شہباز شریف اور رانا ثنا اللہ اکیلے یہ سب نہیں کروا سکتے تھے، انکے پیچھے وہ لوگ ہیں جن کو ہم ملک کا محافظ سمجھتے ہیں، عمران خان pic.twitter.com/zYjPOwf1Z1
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 5, 2023
In his televised address on Thursday, the PTI chairman said that “two to three people” were behind the plot to assassinate him. “I know that the country’s armed forces are giving sacrifices for the country […] but there are black sheep in every institution.
“But the person who planned this, I want them to cooperate with the JIT. Action should be taken against those deliberately obstructing justice.”
Khan further said that when Naveed, the suspect in the assassination bid, was arrested, his confessional video statement was released almost immediately “even when I had not reached the hospital after getting shot at”.
The ex-prime minister claimed that the suspect was asked to say that he was working alone as if there had been someone aiding him, then he could not be called a “religious fanatic”.
Khan said the police quickly recorded the video statement of the suspect and disseminated it among “journalists and television channels” who work against the PTI.
During the address, Imran also played a CCTV video which purportedly showed the DPO directing an official to record the confessional statement of the Wazirabad shooter.
“Which institution was behind the release of the suspect’s confessional statement? I know it,” he said. “I hope we can tell everyone who they are when the JIT summons them.”
Imran’s latest accusations come a day after information minister Fawad Chaudhry said that forensics, site scenes, and the initial investigation report revealed that three attackers were involved in the assassination attempt on Imran Khan in November last year.
“The investigations have revealed that the assassination plot against Imran Khan was well thought-out, but the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders deliberately tried to portray it as a case of religious fanaticism,” he said.
“PML-N leaders, including Javed Latif, Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Asif, and Maryam Nawaz, and some journalists accused Imran Khan of blasphemy using a tampered video to instigate masses sentiments against him.” Fawad added.
