Asad Umar claims Khan suspects govt top brass behind attack

PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar Thursday claimed party chief Imran Khan — who is currently admitted in Shaukat Khanum Hospital — suspects top brass of government behind the attack.

In a video message, Umar said that Khan believes three people are behind the assassination attempt on him — Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a senior military officer.

"Khan has said that he had the information beforehand that these people might be involved in the assassination attempt on him," Umar said during a video statement alongside party leader Mian Aslam Iqbal.

PTI chief was injured after a man opened fire at him in Gujranwala near the party's reception camp, sending the nearby participants of the long march into a panic.

The former prime minister sustained injuries on his leg and has been shifted to a hospital for treatment, Geo News reported, however, the location is unknown for safety concerns.

Asad, quoting the PTI chairman, demanded that all three people — the premier, the interior minister, and the senior military officer — should be removed from their offices.

The PTI leader added that Khan has warned that if these officials are not removed from their officers, then the party would hold countrywide protests as Pakistan cannot run in this manner anymore.

"If the demands are not met, then all the party's workers are awaiting Khan's call, and when he does give that call, then protests will take place across the country."

Umar said that he spoke to the doctors — including Dr Faisal Sultan — about Khan's situation and they have informed him that his condition is stable and out of danger.

"The doctors said that bullets hit him and at this time, it is unclear as to how many they were. Three or two pellets are still lodged in his leg. The bullet also chipped his bone. The CT scan is also clear."

"Khan is ready to sacrifice his life for the nation. There should be no doubt about it now. He is fine, but he says that we should always believe in Allah," Umar said.

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry, speaking to Reuters, said: "It was a clear assassination attempt. Khan was hit but he’s stable. There was a lot of bleeding."

"If the shooter had not been stopped by people there, the entire PTI leadership would have been wiped out."

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi condemned the attack on Khan and said the former prime minister would now have to move towards his destination with "more force".

Following the attack on the former prime minister during his long march, which left him with a bullet injury on his right foot, the Pakistan Army "highly condemned" the incident.

Politicians and government leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, among other leaders, condemned the incident in "strongest words."

Govt condemns Umar's statement

Interior Minister Rana Sanauallah has demanded the Punjab government immediately constitute a joint investigation team (JIT), comprising senior officers to ensure a transparent and credible inquiry into the incident.

Addressing a joint news conference with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb in Islamabad, he said the government condemns all sorts of violence and its manifestations.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has immediately sought a detailed report from the Punjab government, Punjab chief secretary, and the province's inspector-general regarding the firing incident.

The interior minister said that the federal government, on the directions of PM Shehbaz Sharif, has assured Punjab to extend all possible assistance to probe the case.

He, however, condemned and rejected baseless accusations from the PTI leadership for wrongly implicating PM Shehbaz, him, and a senior officer of a state institution in the firing incident.

He said it is highly regrettable that PTI is running a hate campaign against the federal government, rival political parties, and state institutions.

Sanaullah said the PTI should seek the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for security laps as maintaining law and order and providing security to the marchers were the sole responsibility of the provincial government.