Tumultuous history of Pakistan: Assassination of political leaders
Jun 09, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], June 9 : The history of Pakistan has been tumultuous with several assassinations of its political leaders since the country's inception in 1947.
The latest who is receiving death threats is Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan.
The first Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaqat Ali Khan was killed in the Company Baugh of Rawalpindi on the stage which was later named Liaqat Bagh, local Pakistani media reported.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, another stalwart leader of Pakistan was hanged by the military regime of General Zia-ul Haq. He was hanged just a few furlongs away from Liaqat Baugh. Nine years after his hanging, Zia Ul Haq died in a plane accident. Some circles suspect it was a murder and now it is feared that planes are finalized to kill Imran Khan too.
The country had witnessed the brutal assassination of the two times Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto in the same city despite the high security in the face of death threats.
Her husband did not allow her to perform post mortem of her body, the media report said. While everyone knows that post mortem is very important to ascertain the cause of death, it did not happen in the case of Benazir Bhutto and the killers were never caught.
In view of "severe threat alerts", embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan had shown a letter of threat from America in a public meeting just like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who had shown such a letter in a public meeting in Rawalpindi.
After the fall of his government, Imran Khan started a countrywide protest campaign. In two successive rallies in Peshawar and Karachi in April, a large number of people came out in support of Khan.
"In light of severe threat alerts received from security agencies made at the district and provincial levels, it was recommended that ex-prime minister Imran Khan should address the public gathering virtually by video conference and LED display instead of making a physical appearance at Greater Iqbal Park, Lahore on April 21.
