{"id":823,"date":"2023-08-30T03:19:15","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T03:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/imran-names-pm-sanaullah-army-official-for-assassination-bid-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-08-30T03:19:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T03:19:15","slug":"imran-names-pm-sanaullah-army-official-for-assassination-bid-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/imran-names-pm-sanaullah-army-official-for-assassination-bid-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Imran names PM, Sanaullah, army official for assassination bid | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nLAHORE:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

PTI leader and former federal minister Asad Umar on Thursday said party chief and deposed premier Imran Khan had named three suspects, who he believed were behind the gun attack on the long march while it was in Punjab\u2019s Wazirabad.<\/p>\n

Umar issued a video statement, accompanied by a fellow party member and provincial minister Aslam Iqbal, wherein he disclosed that both of them had a conversation with Imran after the attack and the PTI chief revealed that he already had information about it.<\/p>\n

The former minister said the PTI chief was certain that the men who had planned the attack were Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal Naseer.<\/p>\n

He demanded that these three men should be ousted from their posts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are waiting for Imran Khan\u2019s nod. If these three people aren\u2019t removed from their positions, there will be countrywide protests,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n

\u201cPakistan simply cannot continue to function like this,\u201d Umar quoted his party chief as saying.<\/p>\n

He added that the PTI chief\u2019s message was intended for the entire nation.<\/p>\n

Umar said he had spoken with the doctors treating Imran and his condition was stable.<\/p>\n

He added that as the PTI chief had suffered bullet wounds to his leg,\u00a0 there could be two or three pellets lodged inside his body, especially the bone.<\/p>\n

However, he said the doctors had carried out CT scans of Imran\u2019s leg and said he was out of danger.<\/p>\n

Umar maintained that any doubts about the PTI chairman\u2019s repeated claim that he would even sacrifice his life for Pakistan\u2019s \u201cactual freedom\u201d should be laid to rest after the assassination attempt.<\/p>\n

The former minister said a couple of days ago he had a discussion with the PTI chief about the security threats to the long march.<\/p>\n

He added that Imran had replied that he realised the dangers but this was a jihad and the Almighty would protect them.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab minister Aslam Iqbal said that the party would have the three suspects named by Imran booked.<\/p>\n

He added that they would approach the Islamabad police chief for this purpose.<\/p>\n

The PTI leader said the Punjab chief minister had announced forming a joint investigation team to probe this \u201ccowardly\u201d attack.<\/p>\n

Addressing the charged participants of the long march right after the gunshots were fired on Imran and other leaders, PTI\u2019s Fawad Chaudhry termed the assassination attempt an attack on the people of Pakistan.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not an attack on Imran Khan but a strike on Pakistan. It’s not happening in Pakistan for the first time that an attempt was made to remove the most popular leader of the country,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

In a very high sentimental state, Fawad went on to say that his party would avenge this assassination attempt.<\/p>\n

He asked the participants of the long march to pledge that they would avenge the attack on their leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, the blood of our leader and children has fallen. Our leader is attacked with guns. Whoever is behind this gruesome crime should keep in mind that we will take revenge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Fawad said several senior leaders of the PTI had been injured in the attack.<\/p>\n

He added that the attacker had aimed at Imran but luckily a PTI activist foiled his bid by attacking the gunman and saved life of the party chief.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime has come to fulfil the obligation of your oath,\u201d he told the marchers and asked them to take to the streets for the \u201creal freedom\u201d of Pakistan.<\/p>\n

Separately, Fawad tweeted that the attack was a “well-planned assassination attempt”.<\/p>\n

He claimed that the plan was to kill Imran and the leadership of the party. Rubbishing conflicting reports, he claimed that the weapon used was not of a 9mm caliber, but \u201cwas a burst from an automatic weapon\u201d and that it \u201cwas a narrow escape\u201d.<\/p>\n

Former Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said he was standing next to the PTI chairman when the attack occurred.<\/p>\n

He maintained that the bullets were fired from an AK-47 rifle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not an attempt to scare Imran Khan but to assassinate him,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

He said if the attackers thought they could threaten Imran through such \u201ccowardly\u201d attacks, they were living in a fool’s paradise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey should know that not even a single player of Imran\u2019s team would be scared because of these cowardly attempts,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n

Ismail announced that the \u201cHaqeeqi Azadi March: would not conclude at this stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will wait for Imran\u2019s call and continue our journey for real independence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n