Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot and wounded while leading a massive protest march in the country’s eastern city of Wazirabad on Thursday.
Doctors said that Khan was in stable condition. His physician Faisal Sultan at Shaukat Khanum Hospital told journalists that initial scans and x-rays showed bullet fragments in Khan’s leg. Sultan added that a four-member medical board has been formed to monitor and evaluate Khan’s health.
Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesperson for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said the incident “was a clear assassination attempt”.
Protesters break out in Pakistan
Videos showed increasing anger in the streets in the aftermath of Khan’s shooting.
Protesters blocked roads, burned tyres and shouted slogans condemning the assassination ion Khan.
PM condemns attack
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier condemned the shooting in a statement Thursday and ordered an investigation.
The Pakistani army has issued a statement saying the “firing incident” at the protest march “was highly condemnable”.
Gunman arrested
One gunman has been arrested at the scene of Khan’s shooting. The suspect allegedly confessed and said he had acted alone.
“Only Imran Khan was my target,” the suspect said. The gunman, who looked to be in his twenties or thirties, said “He [Khan] was misleading the people, and I couldn’t bear it”.
Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb confirmed the footage was recorded by police.
Local media showed footage of the attacker raising a gun before being stopped by a young man identified only as Ibtisam. “He was preparing to fire. I approached him when he shot one bullet in the air. I pulled at him, which caused his aim to go awry. He then tried to run away, but people went after him, and we managed to stop him.”
The man who saved many lives, including Khan’s, was hailed as hero on social media. Khan’s first wife Jemima thanked the man who tackled Khan’s shooter. . “Thank God he’s okay. And thank you from his sons to the heroic man in the crowd who tackled the gunman.”