ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Clashes broke out in cities across Pakistan on Friday, a day after a gunman wounded former Prime Minister Imran Khan at a rally.
Khan’s supporters blocked major highways, set fires and clashed with police, who responded with tear gas in a clash outside the capital, Islamabad. Violence erupted a day after Mr Khan was shot in the leg on Thursday in Punjab province while he was leading a political protest. One bystander was killed and several others were injured in the attack.
The gunman was immediately arrested by police, and a man identified as a suspect said in a police video leaked to the news media that he acted alone. .
On Friday, Mr Khan appeared on a video from a hospital in Lahore. Seated in a wheelchair and wearing a blue hospital gown, Mr Khan said he would resume his campaign against the early national elections as soon as he recovered.
“I will be back on the road as soon as I get well,” Mr Khan said in a lengthy speech. He demanded the removal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the country’s interior minister, and a senior military intelligence official, accusing the trio of hatching a plot to assassinate him.
Pakistani officials denied Mr Khan’s allegations and insisted that religious fanaticism was the motive for the attack on Mr Khan. And the country’s powerful military apparatus condemned Mr Khan’s claims, saying in a statement that “no one should be allowed to smear the institution or its soldiers with impunity.”
Earlier in the day, angry protesters clashed with police in several cities. A large number of his supporters tried to enter Islamabad from neighboring Rawalpindi and were stopped by tear gas shells from the capital’s police force. Officials said protesters set fire to several vehicles and motorcycles as clashes continued for several hours, lasting into the evening.
Hasan Askari Rizvi, a political analyst based in Lahore, said: “The current situation reflects a serious deterioration in the quality of politics in Pakistan, and it seems to be trending towards more violence. “.
In Lahore, protesters attempted to enter the Governor’s House, breaking security cameras at the entrance and hurling rocks at the colonial-era building. Khan’s supporters also tried to enter the military area of the city, where military buildings and residential areas are located, but were stopped by police.
Clashes also broke out in parts of the southern port city of Karachi, where at least 20 people were arrested when protesters blocked a main road. Khan’s supporters also blocked the entrance of a highway in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
Mr Khan was sacked after a vote of no confidence in parliament in early April. He blamed his ouster on a conspiracy by the United States, the country’s military, and his political opponents. American and Pakistani military and government officials deny those allegations.
Since his removal, Mr Khan has made a great political comeback, winning several by-elections and he has demanded early national elections. But the ruling coalition led by Mr Sharif said it would not move the vote up from its scheduled August seat next year.
Police have yet to register a case or issue a preliminary report on the gun attack, which occurred in Waziribad.
In the police video, the suspect was identified as Naveed Ahmed, a laborer who said he acted for religious reasons.
“I have no regrets except that I wasn’t able to kill Imran Khan,” Mr Ahmed said, adding that he was furious that Mr Khan had portrayed himself as a prophet.
Mr Khan and his supporters and other political observers say Mr Khan has never made such a statement.
During Friday’s press conference, Mr Khan said he had known since September of the plots to attack him. And he called on the country’s military commander to take action against what he called “black sheep” in the security services.
