Change either by "peaceful way or a bloody revolution", warns former Pak PM Imran Khan
Nov 04, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], November 4 : Day after he was shot at during a rally in Punjab province, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday warned the country's establishment that political change is inevitable in the country, whether through peaceful means or through chaos, similar to what witnessed in the Iranian revolution of the 1970s and large scale protests in Sri Lanka.
Speaking for the first time, since the assassination attempt on him, Khan said, "There are only two options left with this (awakened) public: a peaceful or a bloody revolution. There is no third way out. I have seen the country wake up."
"Now decide if we can bring change in a peaceful way through the ballot box or through chaos like the one witnessed in Iran and Sri Lanka," he said after explaining the sequence of events during a televised address while still being admitted at a hospital in Lahore.
In a startling claim, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief said he knew beforehand that assassination was being planned against him.
"A day before going to the rally, I knew that assassination was being planned against me either in Wazirabad or Gujrat," Khan said.
"That day when I was in the container, I was suddenly hit by bullets in my legs and I started falling down. There were two people, if they would have synchronised then I wouldn't have been saved," he was said.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was ousted from power in April this year, by a vote of confidence. He said his government would have never lost the no-trust move. "...But they (the coalition leaders) used the money to become successful," he said.
The PTI chief alleged that the "government and its handlers" had planned his murder, in the same way, former Punjab governor Salman Taseer was killed.
Imran Khan said, as soon as he recovers, he will give a call for another public rally. "As soon as I get well, I will give the call for the Islamabad and come out onto the streets," he said.
On Thursday, PTI chief Imran Khan was attacked near his container in Punjab province during his long march in Wazirabad.
Imran sustained injuries on his leg and was shifted to a hospital for treatment. The PTI leaders said that Imran Khan's condition is stable and he is out of danger.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who was injured in "the firing incident" near the container carrying Imran during the long march, said it was an "assassination attempt" on the former Pakistan PM.
Hours after the assassination attempt against Imran Khan, people held protests in front of the Corps Commander House in Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
PTI senior leader Asad has demanded that all three people -- the Pakistan premier, the interior minister, and the senior military officer -- should be removed from their offices.