Why was Imran Khan shot? Former Pakistan PM caught in ‘assassination attack’

Former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been shot as he was speaking at a political rally in Wazirabad. According to reports, his supporters have said that it was part of an attempted assassination.

Why was Imran Khan targeted?

Eye witnesses have told various news outlets about the moment a gunman opened fire, with Khan said to have been shot in the leg before being rushed away to be treated. The belief is that it was not a life-threatening injury.

Journalist Wajahat Kazmi reported that Khan was being “taken to a hospital in Lahore from Wazirabad” and that he had “received multiple bullet injuries on his leg.”

Khan rose to fame as an international cricket star but quickly moved into politics after retiring from the sport. He has recently been giving speeches across the country as political tensions rise, him having lost his position in April of this year. Khan and his supporters are trying to force early elections to bring about serious change in the country, something that is not popular with his opponents.

Shortly after the attack, Khan was reported to have said, “Allah has given me another life, I will fight back Inshallah.”

What next for Pakistan?

It’s possible that you are living or visiting Pakistan at this time, or know of friends or family who are, and are keen to know how this situation is going to play out. There is no easy answer.

A few weeks ago Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, accused his predecessor Khan of being the “the biggest liar on the face of the earth” and injecting poison into society to “dangerously polarise the electorate.” He blamed him for the damage that had been done to the country in both domestic and foreign affairs since he came into power in 2018.

The country is in the middle of an economic crisis, with mounting inflation, high foreign debt and declining foreign currency reserves. The serious floods in August added to the pain and the financial challenges.