Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has accused his successor of involvement in a plot to assassinate him as he recovers in hospital from gunshot wounds following an assassination attempt. Khan told reporters on Friday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced him as prime minister after a no-confidence vote in April, was involved in a scheme involving Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior army commander. “These three decided to kill me,” Khan said in his first public appearance since Thursday’s attack, adding that two gunmen were involved. The government denied any part and blamed the assassination attempt on a gunman fueled by “religious extremism”. Pakistan’s military media wing called the allegations “baseless and irresponsible”. “The Government of Pakistan has been requested to investigate the matter and initiate legal action against those responsible for defamation and false allegations against the institution and its officials without any evidence whatsoever,” the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. . Sanaullah also rejected the allegations and said the coalition government had called for an independent investigation. Sharif also condemned the shooting and ordered an inquiry. The attack on Khan’s motorcade killed one man and wounded at least 10, significantly raising the stakes in a political crisis that has gripped the country since Khan’s ouster in April. The 70-year-old former international cricket star has been leading a campaign of thousands since last week from Lahore to Islamabad. A man watches a television channel broadcasting the address of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan [Asif Hassan/AFP] Seated in a wheelchair – his right leg in a cast and his left leg heavily bandaged – Khan spoke for more than an hour, railing against the government and the establishment he has accused of ousting him. He also made a new appeal to the public and urged the nation to continue its struggle for freedom. He said that once he recovers, he will continue his long march to Islamabad. Khan appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take action against the injustices being committed against him and his party workers. He said he has done enough for Pakistan to prove that he has only the best intentions for his country. He demanded the resignation of the three people he considered responsible for the attack. “[If] there is no justice, a country cannot prosper,” Khan said addressing the chief justice. “It is your responsibility to save this country from injustice.” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab provincial secretary general Hammad Azhar told Al Jazeera that despite what some critics have said, a lack of security was not to blame for the shooting. “It’s not that precautions weren’t taken. This was a planned assassination attempt on Imran Khan. It was carefully planned and carefully executed,” Azhar said. “There were multiple security cordons around him.” Pakistani journalist Hassan Khan told Al Jazeera that the former prime minister may have been too hasty with his accusations. “It is too early to blame the country’s prime minister, interior minister and senior military officer, but you know what Khan is doing, he is already cashing political capital out of it,” he said.
