Imran's party says Sharif govt trying to cover up assassination attempt on him
Lahore: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday dismissed the federal government's claim that the assassination attempt on party chief Imran Khan was a work of a "lone wolf", stressing that the Shehbaz Sharif-led administration with the help of its "handlers" were trying to cover up the crime.
"The Punjab government (of PTI-PMLQ) has formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the high-profile case of the assassination attempt on Imran Khan in the Wazirabad area of Punjab. And facts will come fore when it completes its investigation," party's Punjab President and Health Minister Yasmin Rashid told PTI.
"The Shehbaz government is trying its best to cover up the crime through the agencies under him (like Intelligence Bureau)," Rashid said.
Reacting to a report by an "anonymous intelligence agency" presented to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led coalition government into the assassination attempt on the ousted prime minister, Rashid said: "No one can be fooled by such cover-up attempts of the government."
"An FIR should be registered against the three high-profile persons on the complaint of Imran Khan," the PTI member said.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician suffered bullet injuries in the right leg on November 3 when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him and others mounting on a container-mounted truck in the Wazirabad area of Punjab province, where he was leading a protest march against the Sharif government.
He underwent surgery for bullet injuries at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore owned by his charitable organisation.
Local English daily The News reported on Saturday that the intelligence agency report submitted to the federal government "does not find any conspiracy involved" and terms it a "lone-wolf" attack.
"The gunshots by the pistol were followed by SMG (sub-nachine gun) fire by some unknown deputed for security purposes in the rally. No other associate of the assailant has been ascertained so far. Eight bullets hit the container top, and six bullet holes were found, whereas two bullets brushed aside the container wall. One assailant opened fire on the container carrying Imran Khan and other leaders," the report added. Thirteen persons, including Imran Khan, sustained injuries, whereas an individual died on the spot.
Mohammad Naveed, the assailant who was arrested from the spot, confessed that he wanted to kill Khan as "songs were played in his long march during the Azan time".
On the other hand, the PTI chairman said the man (Naveed) who tried to assassinate him was a trained shooter and not a religious fanatic as opposed to what the authorities were trying to portray.
In an interview with German state-run international broadcaster DW, Khan said the suspected assailant's profile did not match that of a religious fanatic.
He did not even say his prayers. The social media guys have done all the background checks of where he lived etc. This was not a religious fanatic, this was a trained shooter, Khan said, adding that there were two shooters instead of just one.
The Punjab police have done the forensics. They found two different kinds of bullets, so already that narrative (of a lone shooter) has blown apart. There was another shooter from the buildings firing different bullets, the former prime minister added.
