'Wanted to kill Imran Khan because...': Man who opened fire at former Pakistan PM confesses on camera - WATCH

Imran Khan sustained a bullet injury on his leg when a gunman opened fire on the container-mounted truck carrying him during his protest march in Pakistan.

New Delhi: The gunman who opened fire at Imran Khan on Thursday (November 3, 2022) during a political march in Punjab province said he tried to assassinate the former Pakistan prime minister because "he was misleading the public" and could not tolerate it. Khan was injured when the gunman attacked the container-mounted truck carrying him during his protest march, in what his party claimed was a clear "assassination attempt." The incident occurred in Wazirabad town in Punjab when the cricketer-turned-politician was leading the long march to Islamabad demanding early elections. The gunman was immediately nabbed by security officers and workers of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The clip of his confessional statement is now being circulated on social media.

"He (Imran) was misleading the people and I could not bear watching it. So I attempted to kill him," the suspect said in a video statement.

"I tried my best to kill him. I wanted to kill him (Khan) only and no one else," he confessed.

The gunman also admitted that he has was not affiliated with any political, religious, or terror outfits.

He asserted that the idea to assassinate Imran Khan germinated after he announced the mega rally on October 28.

"I decided to kill him today. This idea came to me when Khan started his long march. I am alone and nobody is with me. I came on my motorbike and I parked the bike in the shop of my uncle," he explained.

"I decided to kill him because when a call for prayer was given, songs were being played (from the container)," he added.

I wanted to kill Imran Khan only, attacker told Media. pic.twitter.com/1EaE1o7q6h — Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) November 3, 2022

Police informed that seven people were injured and one person was killed during the attack.

#WATCH | A firing occurred near the container of former PM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan near Zafar Ali Khan chowk in Wazirabad today. Imran Khan sustained injuries on his leg; a man who opened fire has been arrested.

(Video Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/Qe87zRMeEK — ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2022

Videos on social media showed a PTI worker tackling the attacker from behind and trying to grab the gun of the attacker.

Imran Khan believes Shehbaz Shehbaz behind attack on him: PTI leader

Meanwhile, senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Asad Umar in a video statement said that party chairman Imran Khan has named three suspects who could be behind today's attack.

"Imran Khan called us and told us to convey this message to the nation on his behalf...He said that he believes three people - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal (Naseer) - were involved in the attack on him," Umar said.

سیکرٹری جنرل پاکستان تحریک انصاف اسد عمر اور میاں اسلم اقبال کا عمران خان پر بزدلانہ حملے کے حوالے سے اہم ترین بیان
َ#عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لاین_ہے pic.twitter.com/AMbSJiZFO2 — PTI (@PTIofficial) November 3, 2022

He said they should be immediately removed from their current positions.

Khan has warned that "a protest will be held across the country" if the individuals accused by him were not removed from their offices, Umar added.

Dr Faisal Sultan, the former assistant to the prime minister on health, has said that Khan's condition is stable.

"But according to X-rays and scans, there are fragments of bullets in his legs and there's a chip in his tibia shin bone,? he told media persons outside the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore.
Sheikh Rashid, former interior minister and Khan's close aide, has blamed the Shehbaz administration for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to kill the former premier.

"The federal government hatched a conspiracy to kill Imran Khan. Hired assassin (federal Interior minister) Rana Sanaullah and the federal government has brought the country at the brink of civil war. It can't stand before the sea of people as it has to go home," Rashid said.

He also announced a protest against the assassination attempt on the life of Khan on Friday in Rawalpindi.

Khan, who was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, has talked about a 'threat letter' from the US and claimed that it was part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an independent foreign policy.

The US, however, has bluntly rejected the allegations.

(With agency inputs)