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On Thursday, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, was injured in a rally. One of his party officials confirmed that the incident was an assassination attempt. The incident left one dead and more than a dozen wounded. A senior leader of PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), Asad Umar, said a bullet hit Khan’s leg when gunmen started shooting.

Khan is a former captain of the Pakistan cricket team. He was immediately taken to a Shoukat Khanam hospital, outside the city of Gujranwala, for treatment. Police claimed the department has detained a man carrying a gun allegedly involved in firing shots at the rally. The suspect was captured with a 9mm pistol with 2 empty magazines. A resident of Wazeerabad lost his life in this attack.

A senior politician and PTI leader, Faisal Javed, also received a wound to the head in this incident. He released a video statement while sitting up and receiving treatment. Javed said please pray for Imran Khan, fellow workers, and other victims of this incident. However, some of them are critically injured. He also said please pray for the party member who lost his life in the attack.

The Gunfire Came from Multiple Directions on Thursday’s Attack

Meanwhile, some eyewitnesses believe the gunfire came from multiple directions including a burst of an automatic weapon. The deceased man lost his life when he tried to capture a suspect carrying a 9mm pistol. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, came to power in April when Khan lost a parliamentary vote of no confidence. He went on Twitter and condemned Thursday’s attack on his political competitor.

Shahbaz Sharif said he condemn the attack incident on PTI Chairman Imran Khan. He added that he has asked for a quick report related to the incident. Sharif also prayed for the recovery of injured people and said violence doesn’t have any place in the politics of our country. Meanwhile, the ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) issued a recommendation for Khan on October 21.

ECP Disqualified Imran Khan for 5 Years on October 21, 2022

The ECP has disqualified him from holding political office for the next 5 years. The move immediately fueled a fire in escalating political tensions in the country. The head of ECP, Sikandar Sultan Raja, readout the recommendation saying Khan was disqualified over his involvement in corrupt practices. He said Khan submitted false statements about the declaration of his sold gifts received from Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

Raja added that it is an offense that is illegal under the constitution of Pakistan. Khan was eliminated from his PM seat after a vote of no-confidence amid claims of economic mismanagement and bad governance. PTI Chairman has repeatedly claimed that the United States was involved in his departure.

Former PM Benazir Bhutto was Killed on December 27

Khan’s allegations have become a spike at rallies he conducted throughout Pakistan. Meanwhile, his claims massively struck a wider community of the young population in the country. Most of the PTI followers have higher anti-American and anti-establishment sentiments. The escalating situation has also fueled the fire with the crisis of rising living costs.

However, this isn’t the first time that Pakistani politicians have experienced deadly attacks. The former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, was also attacked in the month of May 2007. But she lost her life in a deadly attack outside Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh Stadium on December 27, 2007. There were also multiple attempts including a blast but a bullet hit her head and she couldn’t survive.