Pakistan Latest: Imran Khan Warns of Chaos Similar to Sri Lanka

Imran Khan said the failed assassination attempt against him will push the people of Pakistan to take to the streets like in Sri Lanka.

“Either we will have a peaceful revolution or a bloody one,” the former prime minister said in his first appearance Friday a day after he was shot in the leg at a rally in Punjab province. “People will take to the streets like Sri Lanka. There will be chaos.”

Khan vowed to resume his march to capital Islamabad after recovering from his injury. He has been pushing for early elections.

Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in major cities across Pakistan, TV footage showed. Khan’s party had called for nationwide demonstrations.

The ex-cricket star blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a top general from the intelligence agency for the attack on his rally in eastern Punjab.

Sharif’s government has rejected the allegations. It has condemned the incident and called for an investigation.

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(All times Pakistan local)

Army Denies Khan’s Suggestion Senior Officer Implicated in Attack (11:20 p.m.)

Pakistan’s military denied Imran Khan’s allegation that a senior officer was partly responsible for an attack on the former prime minister on Thursday. The military’s media wing said Khan’s suggestions were “baseless.”

“No one will be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity,” the military said in a statement. The government has been asked to start legal action against Khan for defamation and false accusations, the military said.
7

Imran Khan
Imran Khan

Shehbaz Sharif
Bloomberg News
Sat, November 5, 2022 at 12:34 AM·9 min read
In this article:

Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Pakistani politician and cricketer

Shehbaz Sharif
Pakistani Prime Minister
(Bloomberg) — Imran Khan said the failed assassination attempt against him will push the people of Pakistan to take to the streets like in Sri Lanka.

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“Either we will have a peaceful revolution or a bloody one,” the former prime minister said in his first appearance Friday a day after he was shot in the leg at a rally in Punjab province. “People will take to the streets like Sri Lanka. There will be chaos.”

Khan vowed to resume his march to capital Islamabad after recovering from his injury. He has been pushing for early elections.

Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in major cities across Pakistan, TV footage showed. Khan’s party had called for nationwide demonstrations.

The ex-cricket star blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a top general from the intelligence agency for the attack on his rally in eastern Punjab.

Sharif’s government has rejected the allegations. It has condemned the incident and called for an investigation.

Key Developments

How Pakistan’s Imran Khan Is Trying to Regain Power: QuickTake

Imran Khan Shooting Raises Stakes in Showdown With Pakistan Army

Imran Khan Shot at Pakistan Rally, in Stable Condition

Imran Khan Starts Pakistan Protest, Confronts Army’s Spy Chief

(All times Pakistan local)

Army Denies Khan’s Suggestion Senior Officer Implicated in Attack (11:20 p.m.)

Pakistan’s military denied Imran Khan’s allegation that a senior officer was partly responsible for an attack on the former prime minister on Thursday. The military’s media wing said Khan’s suggestions were “baseless.”

“No one will be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity,” the military said in a statement. The government has been asked to start legal action against Khan for defamation and false accusations, the military said.

Khan’s Party Calls for More Protests on Saturday (10:30 p.m.)

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party called on supporters to join protests in all the country’s major cities at 5 p.m. on Saturday, former finance minister and party leader Asad Umar said in a Twitter message.

The announcement came after Khan said protests will continue until Premier Shehbaz Sharif resigns along with others who he blames for Thursday’s attack.

Governor’s Office in Punjab Province Requests Extra Security (8:30 p.m.)

Officials at the Governor’s House in Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab requested the state administration to deploy additional security to protect the governor, his family and the staff from the crowds of pro-Khan supporters.

Earlier in the day large crowds had gathered in front of the building in state capital Lahore and tried to enter, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Imran Khan Says He Was Aware of Assassination Plot (7:34 p.m.)

Khan said he got to know about a plan to assassinate him a day before he was shot during a rally in Punjab.

“I will give you details about this attack later,” he said in his first video address since Thursday’s shooting. “I had come to know a day before that they had planned to kill me in Wazirabad or Gujrat.”

Khan was seated in a wheelchair with his right leg elevated and bandaged. He repeated several allegations against the government and the military leadership.

Protests Turn Violent as Police Fire Teargas (6:19 p.m.)

Police fired teargas on protesters to disperse crowds in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi after they blocked roads, Geo TV reported. TV footage showed police dragging some of the demonstraters into vehicles.

Khan’s supporters who came out to protest after a call by the political party also tried to enter the governor’s house in Lahore.

Naeem Shah, deputy superintendent of operations with the Karachi police, said no arrests have been made so far. “People are protesting and the police are trying to stop them,” he said.

Imran Khan to Address Nation on Friday (2:46 p.m.)

Khan will give his first public statement since Thursday’s attack, his party said in a tweet. The speech, earlier scheduled for 4 p.m. local time, has been postponed to later in the evening. No reason was given for the delay.

Shooting Has Dire Economic Implications, Bloomberg Economics Says (2:18 p.m.)

Outrage at what looks to many as an assassination attempt is likely to galvanize support for the former prime minister — and may foment unrest that makes governing even more difficult in the debt-ridden country, which has also been devastated by floods, Bloomberg Economics’ Ankur Shukla said.

The ruling party may now find it nearly impossible to implement unpopular tax hikes and budget cuts required by the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.

Defense Minister Slams Khan for Shooting Allegations (1:41 p.m.)

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the shooting incident is being used by Khan achieve political gains.

He told parliament the Intelligence Bureau had earlier informed the Punjab government, which Khan’s party controls with coalition partners, about threats of a bomb blast and an armed attack.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told a briefing that Khan’s party should revisit their security arrangements and make the necessary changes.

Demand for Sacking Spy Agency Officer Trends on Twitter (11:30 a.m.)

When asked to comment on Khan’s allegations that an officer was involved in the attack, Pakistan’s military referred to an earlier statement that called the shooting “highly condemnable.”

Khan’s Party Announces Protests After Friday Prayers (10:10 a.m.)

Senior PTI leader Asad Umar announced protests across the country after Friday prayers. The protests will continue until Khan’s demand for early elections is met, he said in a tweet.

Bonds Edge Lower on Concerns of Unrest (10:00 a.m.)

Columbia Threadneedle Investments said it remains cautious on Pakistan dollar bonds as political risks are set to intensify in the coming weeks, which raises uncertainty on the government’s ability to raise funds from bilateral lenders.

“The fear is that the alleged assassination attempt on Khan might incite ongoing street protests to turn violent and trigger the military to step in to intervene and potentially impose martial law,” said Eng Tat Low, an emerging-market sovereign analyst at Columbia Threadneedle in Singapore. “The next 12 months will remain very challenging against backdrop of high external financing needs and thin FX liquidity buffers.”

Pakistan’s dollar bonds due in 2031 were indicated 0.5 cent lower at 29.50 cents on the dollar on Friday, the lowest since the notes were issued in 2021.

Khan Supporters Vandalize Pakistan Army Tank (2:30 a.m.)

Video clips of Khan supporters protesting near a military commander’s house in Peshawar and vandalizing a military tank have surfaced on social media.

Pakistan Stops Media From Airing Shooting Allegations (2 a.m.)

The Pakistan Electronic and Media Regulatory Authority has stopped news channels from airing allegations by a leader from Khan’s party. PTI leader Asad Umar had named three suspects that Khan believed were behind the attack on the his convoy.

The regulator in a notification carried by media outlets that “broadcasting such content is likely to create hatred among the people or is prejudicial to maintenance of law and order or is likely to disturb public peace and tranquility or endangers national security.”

Such statements from a senior PTI official could prejudice the investigation and inquiry at this stage, the regulator said.

Khan’s Party to Resume March Toward Islamabad (1:50 a.m.)

A student federation that backs Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said that the long march toward Islamabad will resume from 11 a.m. Friday.

Punjab Province Forming Joint Investigation Team (1:40 a.m.)

The chief minister of Punjab Province, Parvez Elahi announced on Twitter the formation of a joint investigation team to look into the shooting.

‘Violence Has No Place in Politics,’ Blinken Says (1:30 a.m.)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a statement condemning the shooting, said “violence has no place in politics.”

“We call on all parties to refrain from violence, harassment, and intimidation,” Blinken added. “The United States is deeply committed to a democratic and peaceful Pakistan.”

Khan Blames Prime Minister, ISI General for Attack (8:30 p.m.)

Khan has named Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanuallah and Major General Faisal Naseer, a director general of powerful Inter-Service Intelligence, as among those responsible for the attack, senior PTI leader Asad Umar said in a video message after meeting the former cricket star.

A police complaint will be filed, Umar said, without giving other details.

Sanaullah rejected the allegation and the party’s demand for Sharif to resign. He said the federal government will assist the provincial administration of Punjab in free and independent probe.

Hospital Says Bullet Fragments Lodged in Khan’s leg (7:23 p.m.)

Khan is undergoing surgery to remove the bullet fragments, according to the head of the hospital where the ex-leader was sent to after the shooting incident. He added that Khan’s leg is fractured.

Sporadic Protests By Khan’s Supporters Across Pakistan (7 p.m.)

Khan’s supporters have taken to the streets, in so far largely peaceful protests, across the country, news reports said. They’re marching in capital Islamabad and financial hub Karachi.

Government Calls for Extensive probe Into Shooting (6:45 p.m.)

Pakistan’s Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has asked local administration to secure the attack site to preserve evidence and carry out a detailed investigations into the incident. Police have recovered a 9mm pistol and two empty bullet magazines from the shooter, said Muhammad Nadeem, the police security in-charge for Khan’s rally.

Pakistan’s powerful military also condemned the shooting incident and offered prayers for Khan’s swift recovery.

Khan’s Opponents Condemn Shooting (6:36 p.m.)

Khan’s leading political rivals, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, condemned the attack.

Khan’s Party Calls on Supporters to Continue March (6:25 p.m.)

PTI leader Iftikhar Durrani told party supporters to continue the march to push for early elections, assuring them that Khan was in a stable condition.

Local TV Airs Confession by Alleged Attacker (6:10 p.m.)

Local TV stations are broadcasting the alleged confession made by one of the attackers to the police. In the confession, the unidentified man said he tried to assassinate Khan because the ex-leader was misguiding people.

Pakistan television stations are reporting that at least seven to eights bullets were fired at Khan’s convoy by the suspected assailant before he was overpowered by supporters.

Khan’s Party Calls Attack an Assassination Attempt (6 p.m.)

The “assassination attempt on Imran Khan is an attack on Pakistan,” tweeted Farrukh Habib, a senior member of the former premier’s party.

( curtesy Yahoo news)

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