Imran Khan shot: what happened to ex-Pakistan Prime Minister, who shot him and is there a suspect - latest

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is in a stable condition after being shot and wounded during a protest march, a senior leader from his party said. One of Khan’s supporters was killed and 13 others, including two legislators were injured in the attack, which his party described as an assassination attempt.

The protest march and rallies were peaceful until Thursday afternoon’s attack, raising concerns about growing political instability in Pakistan, a country with a history of political violence and assassinations.

The attack happened in the Wazirabad district in the eastern Punjab province, where Khan, who is chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) , was travelling in a large convoy of trucks and cars heading towards the capital Islamabad as part of his protest march aimed at forcing the government to hold early elections, police said.

Khan was hit in the leg but escaped serious harm, an official from the PTI party, Asad Umar said. The identity of the gunman was not immediately known and no group claimed responsibility for the attack. An arrest was made at the scene.

Khan was later seen with a bandage on his right leg, just above the foot, according to reports and a blurry image. He was moved to another vehicle from his container truck, from which announcements were made that he is safe, while protesters continued to gather to support Khan.

What happened at the protest march?

The attack happened less than a week after Khan began his march from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, along with thousands of supporters. The shooting underscored the growing political instability in Pakistan, with both the government and Khan refusing to back down from their positions.

It took place as the former cricket star-turned-politician was travelling in a large protest convoy of trucks and cars towards Islamabad. Video footage shows him and his team ducking for cover on top of a vehicle as gunfire rings out.

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.

Khan was rushed from the scene afterwards and taken to hospital after a bullet hit him in the leg. According to the Interior Ministry, the government has ordered an investigation. The interior minister called the alleged gunman a “religious extremist” who had accused the ex-premier of comparing himself to prophets in some of his recent public speeches.

Khan, 70, is likely to be allowed to go home soon, according to Faisal Sultan, who is heading the team of doctors who treated him. He told reporters on Thursday that Khan’s surgery continued for two hours, and he had a bullet wound in his right leg.

Police are still questioning the alleged attacker, who is shown in a video saying he carried out the shooting and acted alone. Defence minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif on Friday said the Punjab government had suspended the police officials who released the video to the media.

What has the PTI said?

Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader from the PTI said: “There is no doubt about it. We are convinced that it was a well-planned assassination attempt on Pakistan’s most popular leader Imran Khan, who is now in stable condition at the Shaukat Khanum hospital in Lahore after undergoing surgery there.”

He said the party leadership was meeting in Lahore later on Friday. “We will announce today exactly when our march will resume from Wazirabad,” Mr Chaudhry told The Associated Press. He provided no further details, but the party in a brief statement urged supporters to hold nationwide rallies to condemn the shooting.

Asad Umar, a senior figure from the party, blamed the shooting on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the country’s interior minister, and an army general without offering any evidence.

The government called the allegation baseless, saying it has ordered a high-level probe and that the alleged attacker is being questioned.

Why has Imran Khan been protesting in Pakistan?

Since his ousting in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April, Khan has alleged it was a conspiracy engineered by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States — claims both the new premier and Washington have denied.

In October, Khan was disqualified from holding public office in Pakistan. The decision was made by the country’s electoral commission, with Khan describing the disqualification as politically motivated.

The former leader has went onto to hold rallies across Pakistan to demand a snap election in the country. This latest rally is the second one he has held and has lasted seven days.

The Pakistan government has repeatedly said that it will not grant Khan’s wish of an early election. The country is due to hold its next scheduled election in 2023.