Abu Dhabi, Islamabad (WAM, agencies)
The UAE strongly condemned the attempted assassination of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, expressing its solidarity and standing by friendly Pakistan and its people in the face of violence and terrorism.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation confirmed that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts that aim to destabilize security and stability, and are inconsistent with humanitarian values and principles.
Yesterday, Imran Khan survived an assassination attempt while he was among a crowd of his supporters during a rally he organized in Wazirabad district of Punjab province, killing one person and wounding others, according to Khan’s aides.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the shooting incident, and ordered the Minister of Interior to open an investigation immediately, and added that violence should have no place in our country’s politics, stressing that the federal government will provide all necessary support to achieve security.
Asad Omar, a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, said that Khan was wounded in the leg in a shooting at his convoy in the east of the country, and a number of his colleagues were also wounded, amid reports that one of them had been killed.
And Pakistani media reported that the perpetrator of the attack on former Prime Minister Imran Khan admitted that he wanted to kill him, and said that he acted independently. In a tweet, Pakistani President Arif Ali described the shooting as a “heinous assassination attempt”.
Former cricketer Khan, 70, was leading a protest march towards Islamabad to demand early elections, and the procession included hundreds of people.
“Imran Khan and his party colleague Faisal Javed were injured as a result of the bullets, and both were taken to hospital for treatment,” party spokesman Fouad Chaudhry said. “Many of our colleagues were injured, and we heard that one of them died,” Javid, whose clothes were stained with blood, told Geo TV from the hospital.
Raouf Hassan, one of Khan’s top aides, added: “His condition is stable, and this was an attempt to assassinate him, noting that one of the attackers was killed and another arrested.”
Khan’s march comes at a time when the coalition government is struggling to revive the economy and deal with the repercussions of the devastating floods that submerged a third of the country and are estimated to cost nearly thirty billion dollars.
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