Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, has sustained a bullet injury in his leg after shots were fired at a rally in Gujranwala, multiple local news channels have said.
Khan was leading a protest march on Islamabad to demand snap elections. He was shot in the foot but was out of danger.
“The ex-prime minister is stable and has just checked in to the hospital. He is apparently alright but nonetheless the issue is very serious – it can have very serious repercussions in the future politics of Pakistan,” a senator and senior PTI leader told Al Jazeera.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said he “strongly condemns” the attack against Khan and will seek an immediate report of the incident from the Interior Minister.
“Violence should have no place in national politics,” Sharif said.
President Arif Alvi called the incident a “heinous assassination attempt” and said he would pray for Khan’s speedy recovery.
Khan’s government was removed in April this year through a parliamentary vote of no confidence. Since then, Khan has been holding rallies across the country, demanding early elections.
