A GUNMAN opened fire at a campaign lorry which was carrying Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan, injuring him and killing one of his supporters.
His party has confirmed he was wounded in the foot but escaped serious injury. He was later seen with a bandage on his foot and moved to another vehicle from his truck, from which announcements were made that he is safe.
Khan had been giving a speech to his supporters in Wazirabad.
The identity of the gunman was not immediately known and no group claimed responsibility for the attack.
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An arrest was made at the scene.
The former cricketer has been pushing for new elections after being ousted from power in April and has been delivering speeches at gatherings across the country.
He was six days into a march from Lahore to Islamabad when the shooting occurred. Large crowds had gathered to hear him speak.
Since being ousted, Khan has alleged it was a conspiracy engineered by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the US — claims both the new premier and Washington have denied.
The shooting underscored the growing political instability in Pakistan, with both the government and Khan refusing to back down from their positions.
The country’s powerful military said although Khan had a democratic right to hold a rally in Islamabad, no one will be allowed to destabilise the country.
Authorities in Islamabad had already deployed additional security around the city to deter any clashes or violence.
The motives of the attacker were unknown and it was unclear whether the shooting was an attempt on Khan’s life.
According to the Interior Ministry, the government has ordered an investigation.
The attack also comes at a time when impoverished Pakistan is grappling with the aftermath of unprecedented floods that struck this Islamic nation over the summer, killing 1735 people and displacing 33 million.
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