[imagesource: Twitter / @JeremyMcLellan]
Imran Khan, the 70-year-old former Pakistan prime minister, was shot in the leg yesterday in what his supporters say was an assassination attempt.
Khan was giving a speech at a rally in Punjab province when a gunman opened fire, striking the former national cricket captain in the left leg (or left foot, according to some reports) and wounding a number of others.
Last month, the country’s election commission disqualified Khan from holding public office, which he said was politically motivated.
Sky News reports:
Footage from the unfolding scene captured what local media is citing as the gunman, who appeared to escape as members of the public tried to take the weapon off him.
Mr Khan was rushed away from the scene to a hospital in Lahore…
His condition has been reported as “stable”.
Just two hours before he was shot, Khan had given an interview to Sky News, during which he said he was hopeful there would not be violence during his march across the country.
As you can see, that didn’t pan out:
Footage of the firing. Assassination attempt on Imran Khan. pic.twitter.com/fmSgI2E8jc
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) November 3, 2022
The gunman was arrested and police have released footage showing him confessing to trying to kill Khan.
This video has also been widely shared and claims to show the gunman being disarmed by a bystander:
This brave man deserves to be called the hero of today’s most prominent scene in Pakistan. He spoiled the attacker’s plan to assassinate Imran Khan.
May Allah reward him. pic.twitter.com/ANG3ltngqM— د.عـبدالله العـمـادي (@Abdulla_Alamadi) November 3, 2022
There are some who are sceptical, pointing out that it’s unclear under what conditions the confession was obtained:
…. he left Lahore – that I won’t leave him alone – no one is behind me – I acted alone – I came on my bike – and left it at my mamoo’s shop
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) November 3, 2022
Raoof Hasan, a senior aide and spokesperson for Khan, accused the Pakistani government of being “directly involved” in the attack in a conversation with the BBC:
[Hasan] dismissed the government-released video confession as a “crude cover-up” and said the government was “attempting to eliminate [Imran Khan] physically”.
It’s been an interesting week for former Pakistan cricket captains.
Khan was shot and Wasim Akram revealed he was addicted to cocaine after his playing career ended when he started to crave “a substitute for the adrenaline rush of competition”.
There’s your excuse, former high school rugby stars who have faded later in life.
