Comment ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s opposition leader Imran Khan is accusing top government officials of orchestrating an attack Thursday in which he was shot in the leg during a protest march and slightly wounded, party officials said. A gunman opened fire on a truck carrying the former prime minister and several other party officials who were part of a protest convoy. The attack took place near the eastern Pakistani city of Wazirabad, where hundreds of Khan’s supporters had marched. In a statement read by Asad Umar, a senior leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Khan said “he is already receiving some information and can say with authority” that the prime minister, the interior minister and the spy chief of Pakistan was behind the attack. “Khan demands that these three people be removed from their offices,” Umar told local broadcasters. “If they are not fired, there will be a nationwide protest. We will not allow Pakistan to be run like this. Our protest will continue until these three people are fired.” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah called the allegations baseless. “They have no evidence and are making these false accusations only for their political interests,” he said. Sanaullah said Khan’s party was spreading “extremist views” which was a fresh blow to Khan and his supporters. “Remember that you can also be a target of this hate,” he said. “Please stop this, it will only cause more violence.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier condemned the shootings in a statement on Thursday and ordered an investigation. Video of the attack released by Khan’s office showed party leaders on top of a bus ducking for cover as a gunshot rang out over music playing from the crowd. “Khan was hit in the leg, but his condition is stable,” Umar told local Pakistani television station ARY News. He said the former leader is receiving medical treatment in Lahore. “Five to six other party leaders, who were on a truck with Khan, were also injured. One person is in serious condition,” he said. The attack has intensified the escalating hostilities between Khan and the Pakistani government. Khan’s supporters and members of his party are describing it as an assassination attempt, claims Pakistan’s leadership says are attempts to politicize the shooting and incite riots. In a video confession released by local police, the alleged attacker said he acted alone and gave no political motive for the attack. The man, who is not named in the video, said he shot Khan because loud music was being played during the march at the same time as the Muslim call to prayer, an act considered disrespectful by many conservative Muslims. “I tried to kill him. I really tried to kill him, only Imran Khan and no one else,” the man said in the video broadcast by several Pakistani news outlets. “It was a sudden decision on my part,” he said, implying it was not a planned attack. “No one is behind me and no one was with me. I was acting alone and no one came with me.” In an address to the nation, Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb condemned the incident and called for calm. “The attacker has given his reasons for trying to kill Khan and therefore there is no need for politics to get involved in this matter,” he said. He called the allegations of attempted murder “very unfortunate” and said: “Please refrain from making such irresponsible statements unless and until the investigation is complete.” Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote this year, but has since been building popular support across the country with large rallies accusing government officials of being corrupt and calling foreigners puppets. Last week, Khan began a march to the country’s capital, Islamabad, to demand early elections. He vowed that the march would culminate in the largest demonstration in Pakistan’s history. Pakistan bans Imran Khan from politics, sparking unrest Khan has come under increasing pressure from the Pakistani government as his popular protest movement has grown. Several legal cases have been filed against him, including one under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act. On Friday, Pakistan’s intelligence chief made a rare public statement accusing Khan of asking the military for “illegal and unconstitutional” support. Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, who rarely appears in public, announced the charges at a heated press conference. He said Khan asked the military for favors during his time in power, but did not specify what Khan asked. Khan’s party has denied any wrongdoing. Pakistan’s military is considered the most powerful force in the country, but senior security leaders rarely weigh in on politics in public. George reported from Kabul.
