Imran Khan shot: Ex-Pakistan PM and cricket legend hit in leg in assassination attempt

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, has been shot in the leg during a supporters rally, in what his supporters say was an assassination attempt.

During a political march, unidentified assailants opened fire on cricket legend Mr Khan’s container truck, in Wazirabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

He was shot in the leg three to four times with an AK-47, injuring him and killing one of his supporters.

Footage run on several local television channels showed Mr Khan being moved from the container to another vehicle with the help of his team with a bandage tied around his leg.

DawnNewsTV said he is being rushed to the hospital and there is now a large presence of Punjab police on site.

The container truck was travelling with hundreds of supporters piled onto trucks and cars in convoy and many marching on foot.

PTI member Faisal Javed, who was injured in an attack on Imran’s convoy on Thursday, has said that there were reports of the death of a party leader.

Azhar Mashwani, a spokesman for PTI, said the former prime minister was “safe” and that the suspect has been arrested.

In an interview with Aaj TV immediately after the incident, PTI senior member Fawad Chaudhry confirmed that Mr Khan was shot in the leg and said that three people were injured in the attack, including Senator Faisal Javed and senior PTI member Ahmad Chattha.

Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has “severely condemned” the firing incident.

Mr Khan was on day six of a march from Lahore to Islamabad in a bid to bring early elections to the country.

The former cricketer has been pushing for new elections after being ousted from power in April and has been travelling the country giving speeches at various gatherings.

Khan has alleged that his ouster was a conspiracy engineered by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States – claims that both the new premier and Washington have denied.

Sadaf Naeem, 36, a television journalist with Channel 5 in Lahore, died on Sunday after falling from the container truck that Khan was travelling in as the former premier and hundreds of his supporters journeyed to the capital, Islamabad.

Videos on social media show Naeem running alongside Mr Khan’s truck to get an invite to the top to speak to him. It is unclear how she fell down and lost her life in Kamuke, one of the towns on the march’s path.

Mr Khan went to Naeem’s home in Lahore on Monday to convey his condolences.