Imran Khan: Shock and condemnation over attack on Pakistan ex-PM

BBC News:

An attack on Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan – which supporters say was an attempted assassination – has drawn international condemnation.

Mr Khan, 70, is recovering in hospital after being shot in the leg on Thursday at a protest march in Wazirabad, in the north-east of the country.

One person was killed and at least 10 injured in the attack on his convoy.

But Mr Khan is in a stable condition, his team say, and could potentially be discharged in the coming days.

The attack on Mr Khan has electrified the country, which the cricketer-turned-politician led until April, when he was ousted by a parliamentary vote of no confidence.

Following Thursday’s shooting, his party – the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – called for nationwide protests after Friday prayers. Schools have been closed in the capital, Islamabad.

Mr Khan’s political opponents have been quick to condemn the attack, with President Arif Alvi calling it a “heinous assassination attempt” and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordering an immediate investigation.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for calm, saying: “Violence has no place in politics, and we call on all parties to refrain from violence, harassment and intimidation.”

Pakistan – which is reeling from an ongoing economic crisis and devastating floods – has a record of political violence, with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto assassinated in 2007. Many evoked her killing in the wake of the attack on Mr Khan.