Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan is in a stable condition after being shot and wounded during a protest march, a senior leader from his party said.
Mr Khan’s protest march and rallies were peaceful until Thursday afternoon’s attack, raising concerns about growing political instability in Pakistan, a country with a history of political violence and assassinations.
One of Mr Khan’s supporters was killed and 13 others, including two legislators, were wounded in the attack.
“There is no doubt about it,” said Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader from Mr Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
“We are convinced that it was a well-planned assassination attempt on Pakistan’s most popular leader Imran Khan, who is now in stable condition at the Shaukat Khanum hospital in Lahore after undergoing surgery there.”
He said the party leadership was meeting in Lahore later on Friday.
“We will announce today exactly when our march will resume from Wazirabad,” Mr Chaudhry told The Associated Press.
He provided no further details, but Mr Khan’s party in a brief statement urged supporters to hold nationwide rallies to condemn the shooting.
Asad Umar, a senior figure from Mr Khan’s party, blamed the shooting on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the country’s interior minister, and an army general without offering any evidence.
The government called the allegation baseless, saying it has ordered a high-level probe and that the alleged attacker is being questioned.
Police are still questioning the alleged attacker, who is shown in a video saying he carried out the shooting and acted alone.
Defence minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif on Friday said the Punjab government had suspended the police officials who released the video to the media.
The attack took place as the former cricket star-turned-politician was travelling in a large protest convoy of trucks and cars towards Islamabad.
Video footage shows him and his team ducking for cover on top of a vehicle as gunfire rings out.
Interior minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said some political elements from Mr Khan’s party were trying to create chaos in the country following the attack.
His comments came after scores of Mr Khan’s supporters demonstrated in various parts of the country, with some chanting slogans against the military and vowing to avenge the attack.
The interior minister called the alleged gunman a “religious extremist” who had accused the ex-premier of comparing himself to prophets in some of his recent public speeches.
On Friday, in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, a group of Mr Khan’s supporters heading towards nearby Islamabad on Friday pelted police with stones.
Officers used batons and fired tear gas to disperse them.
Police detained some demonstrators near Islamabad.
In the eastern city of Lahore, Mr Khan’s supporters damaged the main gate of the governor’s office.
In the southern port city of Karachi, where Mr Sharif’s allies are in power, hundreds of Mr Khan’s supporters clashed with police.
The violence erupted just hours before Mr Khan was expected to hold a news conference to announce the future strategy for his march, which was halted after Thursday’s shooting in the town of Wazirabad.
Mr Khan, 70, maintains that his April ousting in a no-confidence vote in parliament was unlawful and a conspiracy by his political opponents orchestrated by the United States, a claim denied by both Washington and Mr Sharif.
Mr Khan wants the government to announce early elections.
He led the protest from Lahore beginning last Friday along with thousands of supporters, saying his protest will continue until his demands are accepted.
Pakistan says elections will take place as scheduled in 2023.
Mr Khan’s supporters rallied overnight in different parts of the country after the shooting.
