Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan staged demonstrations across the country today (Friday), a day after he survived an assassination attempt. During the protests, roads were blocked in major cities in the country, and clashes developed between the protesters and the local security forces.
Yesterday, Khan participated in a demonstration calling for the early elections and the resignation of the incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and when he waved to his supporters from a truck he was standing on, he was shot in the leg.
He was removed from power last April, after Sharif formed a coalition of several parties through a parliamentary vote. At the beginning of today’s demonstrations, Khan’s supporters gathered at the place where he was shot yesterday, and resumed the protest marches.
In addition to the roadblocks, the protesters burned tires and even threw stones at the office of a local district governor. They also destroyed security cameras and several barriers.
According to local television broadcasts, the police used tear gas to deal with the protesters, and disperse the blocked roads. “It can’t stop, people are very angry and it will become even more intense,” said one of the protesters.
After yesterday’s shooting incident, police cordoned off the area and worked through the night to collect evidence from the scene. Khan himself spent the night in the hospital and his life is not in danger, after being hit by two bullets in the incident.
Documenting the moment of shooting former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan
Assassination attempt on former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. Khan was shot in the leg and transported to hospital. pic.twitter.com/FFlyendEHy
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 3, 2022
Khan himself, attacked the heads of state in an unusual way, accusing them of being behind the assassination attempt on him. They, for their part, denied the allegations, and condemned the incident.