Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday (November 4th) accused his successor Shehbaz Sharif of being involved in a plot to kill him. Mr Khan is still in hospital recovering from gunshot wounds he received the day before at a political rally. Pointing to Mr Sharif, who succeeded him in April, Home Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior military official, Mr Khan said in a video posted on YouTube from his hospital bed in Lahore, New York. east of the country: “These three decided to kill me. »
Mr. Sharif’s government has denied any involvement in the assassination attempt, which it attributed to a religiously motivated man.
This attack left one dead and at least ten injured, further heightening the tension in a country plunged into a deep political crisis since Mr. Khan was ousted from power.
Mr. Khan, 70, had for a week been at the head of a march bringing together several thousand of his supporters between the city of Lahore and the capital, Islamabad, to obtain the holding of early elections.
Sitting in a wheelchair, his right leg plastered and the other bandaged, the former cricket champion, for almost an hour, multiplied the allegations against the government, the army and the intelligence services that he makes responsible for his political downfall. He claimed that his opponents wanted to accuse him of having “defiled the religion or the prophet”and would place the responsibility for his assassination on a religious extremist.
Mr. Sanaullah had earlier said at a press conference that the attack was “a very clear case of religious extremism”. “The allegations made by the defendant in the video are extremely disturbing and chilling”he had said.
A suspect has been apprehended and a video, in which he seems to confess his act, has leaked to the press. Disheveled hair, hands tied behind his back, he explains that he attacked Mr. Khan because he “fooled the public”. He adds that he was angered by the noisy procession that interrupted the call to prayer.
Almost permanent political instability
Mr Khan was speaking to his supporters on Thursday from the top of a container on top of a truck in Wazirabad, about 170 kilometers east of Islamabad, when an individual fired a burst of automatic gun fire into the his direction. Several officials of his party, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (Pakistan Justice Movement), were also injured.
“Bullets hit my leg and when I fell there was another burst”described Mr. Khan. “There were two men. If they had synchronized well, I would not have survived. “One of them has been captured and is presented as a religious fanatic. He’s not a religious fanatic: there was an elaborate plan behind it.”he said.
Pakistan has been struggling for decades with violent Islamist movements, which have a strong influence on a large part of the population. Mr. Khan, who during his sports career maintained a reputation as a playboy, has endeavored as a politician to present an image of a fervent Muslim. Until being reproached for his complacency towards radical elements.
Several political assassinations have marked the recent history of the country, marked by almost permanent political instability and the preeminent role of the army. This attack notably brings back the memory of the attack which cost the life in 2007 of Benazir Bhutto, the first woman of the modern era to have led a Muslim country. The sponsors of his assassination have never been identified.
Despite his ouster, Mr. Khan retains broad support among the population. Since April, he has held large rallies across the country – drawing tens of thousands of supporters – to pressure the fragile ruling coalition. He keeps rehashing his thesis that his fall was the result of a “conspiracy” hatched by the United States, and relentlessly criticizes the government of Mr. Sharif, as well as the military establishment.
Mr. Khan came to power in 2018 by mixing promises of social reform, religious conservatism and the fight against corruption. But under his mandate the economic situation deteriorated and he lost the support of the army. In recent months, the former prime minister had several times declared himself ready to die for his country, and his entourage has often reported threats against him.