Tag: Wazirabad

  • PTI rejects FIR against Imran Khan’s attempted assassination

    PTI rejects FIR against Imran Khan’s attempted assassination

    A First Report Information (FIR) has been registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s attempted assassination in Wazirabad almost a week after the tragic incident.

    The FIR has been lodged at the City Police Station in Wazirabad with sub-inspector Aamir Shahzad as the complainant.

    The prime suspect, Naveed, who was captured at the crime scene, has been nominated in the FIR. The report was registered under various charges including terrorism, murder and attempt to murder with sections 302, 324, 440 and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 included.

    According to the FIR, Imran Khan and other PTI leaders were headed to Wazirabad from Allahwala Chowk, when at 4pm, the accused, Naveed opened fire from the left side of the container, killing Muazzam son of Nawaz of Bharoki Cheema, who was a participant in the rally. Moreover, the FIR says the gun attack left Imran Khan wounded.

    PTI’s leaders have categorically rejected the FIR, while social media was flooded with the party’s supporters dismissing the report.

    PTI’s Secretary General Asad Umar tweeted, “The reality of the established system in the country came to the public. Not a few individuals, but the whole system was exposed to the nation.”

    PTI’s senior leader Fawad Chaudhry pointed out that the names of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal were not mentioned in the FIR and thus the party rejected it.

    PTI leader Shireen Mazari said the FIR was an “attempt at a complete cover up by the three accused through the power of their positions and the state.”

    PTI leader Hammad Azhar also discredited the FIR and said the FIR should be re-named “NRO”.

    The FIR was registered after the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday directed Faisal Shahkar, Inspector General (IG) of Punjab Police, to register it.

    The Chief Justice (CJ), Umar Ata Bandial, warned that the court would take suo motu notice if the FIR of the attack was not registered within 24 hours.

  • ‘No one will be allowed to defame us’: Army lashes out at Imran Khan

    ‘No one will be allowed to defame us’: Army lashes out at Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has named PM Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and an army officer, Major General Faisal Naseer, as the conspirators behind the assassination attempt on him in Wazirabad.

    The Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also demanded resignations from all three.

    Following the accusations, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) condemned the allegations and said: “The baseless and irresponsible allegations by chairman PTI against the institution and particularly a senior army officer are absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for.”

    Calling PTI chief Imran Khan’s allegations regrettable, the ISPR said honour and safety of its rank and file were being “tarnished by vested interests”. The institution will safeguard its officers and soldiers no matter what, the statement read.

    “No one will be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity. Keeping this in view, the government of Pakistan has been requested to investigate the matter and initiate legal action against those responsible for defamation and false accusations against the institution and its officials without any evidence whatsoever,” added the army’s military wing in the statement.

    From the government’s side, federal ministers also called out Khan for accusing institutions without any evidence.

    Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “Not only was Imran Khan making false accusations without any evidence, but the fact is that the attacker was in Punjab police’s custody and investigation was the responsibility of the Punjab government, not the federal government.”

    “For Almighty’s sake, I plead not to play the religion card. This is a dangerous path and could lead to serious consequences,” she stressed.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Khan is a compulsive liar and said his whole media talk on Friday was nothing more than “baseless allegations”.

    In a press conference, the minister also said it is “very saddening” that Khan has named people for his attempted assassination without any investigation or proof.

    The minister added that the attack on the PTI march is an incident of religious extremism. However, he was of the view that, “PTI’s attitude towards the incident is also regrettable and condemnable.”

  • ‘Phir call doonga, dobara sarkon pe nikloonga’: Imran Khan breaks silence after his attempted assassination

    ‘Phir call doonga, dobara sarkon pe nikloonga’: Imran Khan breaks silence after his attempted assassination

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan addressed the nation for the first time since his attempted assassination in Wazirabad. Khan is currently hospitalised in Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Lahore from where he spoke to the nation.

    In the beginning, Dr Faisal Sultan, the former assistant to Khan on health, gave some details on Khan’s injuries. He showed X-rays of Imran’s right leg, he said that the tibia was damaged and was in fact fractured.

    ‘They had planned to kill me either in Wazirabad or in Gujrat’: Imran Khan

    After Dr Faisal’s briefing, Khan claimed that he was aware of the danger and of the plot to kill him. He said that he already had information about the attack and he knew that they had planned to kill him either in Wazirabad or Gujrat.

    ‘Our MPAs were threatened and told that we have your dirty videos’: Imran Khan

    While talking about a handler in Islamabad, Khan said that his party’s Member of Provisional Assemblies (MPAs) were threatened.

    According to Khan, the handler said that “they need to stop supporting Imran Khan and the party, as they have dirty videos of them.”

    ‘Aik handler ajata hai Islamabad mein Major General Faisal, he says he will handle it all’: Imran Khan

    During his address, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took a jibe at Major General Faisal.

    He said that ever since General Faisal was posted in Islamabad, attack on PTI leaders started. “Media officials covering or speaking for PTI were stopped from doing so,” Khan said.

    ‘I have a video with four names who made decisions behind closed doors against me’: Imran Khan

    Moreover, Khan claimed that four people plotted to kill him. He stated that the “handlers” were taking the decisions at the back but the people were turning out to his rallies in record numbers.

    “I have friendships within the institutions, I know people. I know what they did in these six months. I recorded a video with four names of people planning behind the doors against me,” said the former prime minister in his first address after being shot.

    ‘There were two shooters’: Imran Khan

    PTI chief Imran Khan described the attack on his life in Wazirabad. He said he was on the container when a “burst of bullets” was directed at him, causing him to get shot in the leg and fall down.

    “There was a burst of gunfire. I fell after being hit in the leg. Then there was another round of gunfire. If the two shooters had synchronised, I wouldn’t have survived,” revealed Imran Khan.

    ‘Had planned to murder me like Salman Taseer’: Imran Khan

    The former premier alleged that the “government and its handlers” had planned to get him murdered in the same way former Punjab governor Salman Taseer was killed.

    “Firstly, they accused me of blasphemy, they made tapes and released them and PMLN projected it, I knew who was doing it.”

    “It is very easy to find out because this is a digital world. So first it was projected that I disrespected religion and then their plan was what they did in Wazirabad, that a religious extremist killed Imran Khan,” the PTI chief claimed.

    ‘Mai aaj General Bajwa se sawaal poochta hoon’: Imran Khan

    PTI Chairman Imran Khan urged Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to hold the “black sheep” in his institution accountable.

    Questioning Gen Bajwa, Khan asked whether the honour of the army would go up if this violence continues. He said there are black sheep dishonouring the army, which will not benefit the people of Pakistan.

    “Mr Y in Multan is the one who is calling my MPs and telling them to leave Imran Khan. Bajwa sahab, I am asking you to wake up. These people are after us all. I want to ask: Who is a traitor in Pakistan?,” said the PTI chief.

    ‘Mein Zardari aur Nawaz ko challenge karta hoon, dono ko haraaoonga’: Imran Khan

    Imran Khan challenged former President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif “to try and contest the next general election against him”.

    “I will make sure that they will lose their constituencies”, he said.

    ‘My house helpers were paid to conspire against me, our donors were scared, my phone lines were tapped’: Imran Khan

    Imran Khan said that several means were used against him like he was some enemy.

    “I asked FIA, police, election commissioner, and they all said someone else is calling the shots. My house help was tipped off, my phone calls being a prime minister were tapped and our donors were scared, ” he said.

    ‘Pakistanis should keep protesting till these three people resign’: Imran Khan

    The former premier said that three others, separate from the ones who he had named in a tape stashed abroad, had plotted to kill him.

    “How did I find out? Insiders told me. The day before Wazirabad, they planned to kill me as they saw the number of people increasing using the script of religious extremism.”

    Khan named “Rana Sanaullah, PM Shehbaz Sharif and Major General Faisal” behind his attempted assassination however Khan provided no evidence in this regard. He also demanded their resignations.

    “I have decided when I get well, I will be on the road and will give a call for Islamabad. These three people will have to resign. And I want all Pakistanis to protest till these three [Sanaullah, Shehbaz and General Faisal] hand in their resignations because otherwise, no investigation of my attack will take place as they call the shots, ” Khan concluded his address.

    On November 3, Imran Khan survived an assassination attempt on Day seven of PTI’s ‘Haqeeqi Long March’ as his container moved through Punjab’s Wazirabad.

    Following the incident, the suspect/shooter, caught by police on the scene, said that he wanted to kill Khan because “he was misleading the public”.

    Condemnations started pouring in for Khan from his opponents as well as from the international community.

  • Khawaja Asif shifts blame of assassination attempt onto Khan

    Khawaja Asif shifts blame of assassination attempt onto Khan

    Federal Minister for Defence, Khawaja Asif, has shifted the blame for Thursday’s assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Imran Khan onto the man himself, citing what he described as “crossing the red lines of religion”.

    “The suspect’s videos that have surfaced … they show that religious fanaticism motivated the attack. Time and time again, the former prime minister came close to crossing boundaries — or he crossed the boundaries — he crossed the red lines of religion because of which a man attacked him,” Khawaja Asif said on Friday. The minister quoted the suspect as proof that Khan had brought the attack upon himself.

    He began his speech by saying that the incident was a “Cause of embarrassment for the nation”.

    “And we, the federal government, want that if there is a conspiracy behind it, then it should be brought to light,” he stated.

    The defence minister stressed that “We should not refrain from taking any step that will prove to be helpful for us in this matter” and that the investigation into the incident and efforts to get to the bottom of the matter should not be politicised.

    “Don’t let this incident fall victim to politics,” he reiterated, while adding, “They should go after the suspects, but all that they have been doing [demonstrates] that they are not interested in the investigation. They have made Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister and DGC the culprits.”

    He recalled that Imran previously said he had contacts in the establishment. “And now those contacts are being named in the murder attempt [case],” the minister said. “By naming politicians and a senior army officer, they are taking the matter in a direction where they will not find any clue or suspect.”

    Imran Khan was shot at thrice in Punjab’s Wazirabad on Thursday, November 3. The suspect, Naveed ,is in police custody and has confessed to the crime on a video where he says that he had planned to kill the former Prime Minister ever since his long march left Lahore.

  • ‘PM Shehbaz visiting Khan is under discussion’: Rana Sanaullah

    ‘PM Shehbaz visiting Khan is under discussion’: Rana Sanaullah

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has once again strongly condemned the assassination attempt on former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan which took place on November 3 in Wazirabad during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march.

    In a press conference, the minister called the incident an act of “religious extremism”. However, he was of the view that “PTI’s attitude towards the incident is also regrettable and condemnable.”

    He revealed that so far four deaths have been reported due to the unfortunate incident, adding that PM Shehbaz Sharif has announced compensation for the people who have lost their lives.

    He said that the federal government has asked the Punjab government to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

    He, further said that “we consider Khan a political opponent and not an enemy, but he [Khan] considers us his enemies.”

    About the accusations made by the PTI chief, implicating Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah himself and Major General Faisal Naseer of plotting the assassination attempt, the Interior Minister said that it is “very saddening” that Khan has named people without any investigation or proof.

    Talking about the alleged confession video of the shooter, the minister said that the allegations levelled by him are extremely alarming.

    The minister also hinted at the possibility of PM Shehbaz visiting Imran Khan to inquire about his health.

    “If the environment gets better, PM Shehbaz might visit Khan but right now we have been blamed. So the discussion is under consideration, PM Shehbaz will decide this matter,” he stated.

  • ‘Siyasat mein violence ki koyi jagah nahin,’ Condemnations pour in after assassination attempt on Imran Khan

    ‘Siyasat mein violence ki koyi jagah nahin,’ Condemnations pour in after assassination attempt on Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on Thursday while leading his party’s long march in Wazirabad. The Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was shot in the leg and is currently receiving medical treatment at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Lahore. According to media reports, one person was killed while seven people sustained injuries.

    Other than Khan, PTI leaders Faisal Javed and Ahmad Chattha were also injured. Following the tragic incident, leaders from across the political spectrum condemned the attack on Khan.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the firing incident and said that an immediate report of the incident has been sought from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

    In a tweet, he said, “I strongly condemn the firing at Imran Khan’s rally. An immediate report of the incident has been sought from the Interior Minister. We pray for the speedy recovery of Imran and other injured. The federal government will provide all possible support to the Punjab government in the security/investigation of the incident. Violence should have no place in country’s politics.”

    President Dr Arif Alvi took to Twitter to express his concern, saying that “This attack was sad, alarming, deceitful and cowardly”.

    The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said that the firing incident during PTI’s long march near Gujranwala is “highly condemnable”.

    “Sincere prayers for precious life lost and speedy recovery and well-being of Imran Khan and all those injured in this unfortunate incident,” the military’s media wing said.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif also condemned the attack and prayed for Khan’s and other party leaders’ recovery.

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto said, “Strongly condemn the attack on Imran Khan. Praying for his swift recovery.”

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Twitter account tweeted that Former President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the firing incident. He said, “I pray to God that Imran Khan recovers soon”.

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also condemned the unfortunate incident.

    Sanaullah’s office’s official account said that on the instructions of PM Shehbaz, a report of the incident was sought from the Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police (IG) Police Punjab.

    From PML-N leaders, Ahsan Iqbal also came forward to condemn the attack.

    He tweeted, “Thank God Imran Niazi is safe. There is no room for violence in politics. I strongly condemn the incident of firing on Imran Niazi’s container in Wazirabad. The Punjab government should review the security arrangements.”

    Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai wished the PTI chief a full recovery.

    “Attacks on leaders of any political belief or party are always wrong. And violence is never an acceptable protest”, she said in a tweet