Pakistan Ex-PM Imran Khan shot in leg 'multiple times' during long march

Agencies | Islamabad                  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A gunman opened fire at a container truck carrying Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday, wounding him and some of his supporters, a senior leader from his party and police said.

Khan was shot "three to four" times, a TV news outlet quoted PTI's Imran Ismail as saying.

Another party official, Asad Umar, confirmed that he was wounded in the foot, but was not seriously hurt.

The attack happened in the Wazirabad district in the eastern Punjab province. Khan was travelling in a large convoy of trucks and cars heading towards the capital, Islamabad, as part of his campaign aimed at forcing the government to hold early elections.

Khan was later seen with a bandage on his foot. He was moved to another vehicle from his container truck, from where announcements were being made that he was safe.

Seven others were reportedly injured, including Senator Faisal Javed and Ahmad Chattha, the reports added. They are currently being shifted to the hospital in ambulances.

Some of the supporters from his Tehreek-e-Insaf party were also wounded, according to the announcement.

The suspected shooter was reportedly arrested and detained, according to ARY News.

The attack happened less than a week after Khan began his march from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, along with thousands of supporters. Since his ouster in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April, Khan has alleged that his ouster was a conspiracy engineered by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States — claims that both the new premier and Washington have denied.