Massive protests erupted in Pakistan’s Peshawar district and other parts of the country hours after former Pakistan PM and Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was shot in his leg as he led a rally against the government in Wazirabad on Thursday. Pakistan Tereek-e-Insaaf party workers took to the streets to register their protest against the alleged assassination attempt on Khan.
According to the reports, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the Corps Commander’s House in Peshawar and raised their voices against the incident, the video of which went viral over the internet. In one of the videos, the security personnel could be seen preventing the PTI workers from approaching the Corps Commander’s residence.
It begins: After attack on Khan, PTI demonstrators advance on the Peshawar Corps Commander’s residence.
— Waj S. Khan (@WajSKhan) November 3, 2022
Will the military blink first and allow snap elections?
pic.twitter.com/SK7DjeQK3Y
The Pakistan Tereek-e-Insaaf party also happened to share several videos of the protest on social media in which the protesters could be seen torching the vehicles and raising slogans in support of Imran Khan. The demonstrators also raised slogans against Nawaz Sharif.
عمران بنو گے؟
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 3, 2022
ہاں بھئی ہاں!
جہلم کا عمران خان اور اس مٹی سے وعدہ ہے کہ جان جاتی ہے تو جائے لیکن غلامی قبول نہیں کریں گے اور خون کے آخری قطرے تک اپنے کپتان کے ساتھ اس حقیقی آزادی کی جدوجہد میں شانہ ںشانہ کھڑے رہے گے۔
#عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لاین_ہے pic.twitter.com/EtZqv1iVen
Meanwhile, Pakistani journalist Wajahat Saeed Khan also shared videos of the protest showing the PTI party workers vandalizing public properties. The protesters in the video could be seen vandalizing a Police APC in the Peshawar district of Pakistan. “This is unprecedented. Not in 75 years of history has this been witnessed in Pakistan”, he tweeted.
Fact Check: This isn’t an army tank. It’s a police APC. https://t.co/3I0FGSFd96
— Waj S. Khan (@WajSKhan) November 3, 2022
Khan (70), was attacked in Wazirabad, Pakistan’s Punjab province, about 100 kilometers from Lahore, as he was on his way to Islamabad with supporters to put pressure on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government to call early elections. A volley of bullets appeared to be fired from an automatic rifle as Khan and other leaders of his party stayed on the vehicle’s roof.
According to PTI leaders, Khan was hit in the right leg but was not in danger. Reportedly, Khan was lightly injured and was taken to the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore for treatment. After being shot, Khan was seen waving to the supporters on television before being carried to his bulletproof truck. The attacker has been arrested.
Furthermore, the firing caused panic among the marchers which triggered a stampede in which many people got injured. During the incident, one PTI worker was killed and 13 others were reported injured, including party leaders Ahmed Chattha and Faisal Javed.
Notably, the arrested assailant who fired at Khan with an AK-47 stated that he attacked the former Pakistan PM because he was misleading the public. He added that Azaan was going on at a nearby mosque and Khan was playing music. Meanwhile, Khan blamed the attack on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, and Maj Gen Faisal. The Pakistan Army also condemned the attack on Imran Khan while Pakistan’s Prime Minister has directed the Interior Minister to submit an immediate report on the incident.
