Another Dark Day for Pakistan
Ishtiaq Ahmed
Islamabad: Shooting of Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, marks another dark day in short and bloody political history of Pakistan.
The former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007 when she was leaving the venue after addressing a political rally at Liaqat Bagh in Rawalpindi.
Liaqat Ali Khan, also a former prime minister, who’s name sake the Liaqat Park was named, was also assassinated in 1951. The soothing of Imran Khan is nothing short of a dark tragedy.
According to BBC reports, Imran Khan was shot and wounded in the leg in an attack on his protest march in the eastern city of Wazirabad, Punjab.
A senior aide told AFP news agency it was “an attempt to kill him”, but police are yet to confirm that he was the target.
Mr Khan, 70, was leading the march on Islamabad to demand snap elections after he was ousted in April. The former prime minister was taken to the hospital in Lahore and his condition is described as being stable.
Police released a video confession of a man they arrested who they say had attempted to assassinate because, “He was misguiding the people. I wanted to kill him. I tried to kill him.”
Accordingly to BBC, a PTI member said, “This was an attempt to kill him, to assassinate him,” Mr Khan’s senior aide Raoof Hasan told AFP.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the shooting and ordered an immediate investigation and President Arif Alvi said the incident was a “heinous assassination attempt”.
Imran Khan has been leading a protest march – the second such rally this year – for the past seven days, calling for new elections. The government has repeatedly said it will hold elections next year, as planned.
Last month, Pakistan’s election commission disqualified Mr Khan from holding public office which IK described as being politically motivated.
Pakistan has a long history of deadly political violence. In the most high-profile case, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated at a public rally in 2007.
There should be no excuse for the current government and authorities not to get to the bottom of the assassination attempt and bring the culprit’s’ to justice. The verdict is open on what and why it has happened.
We pray for Imran Khan’s speedy recovery and back at the helm to lead his political struggle.
It is a developing story.
Violence in politics is symptom and manifestation of frustrated and intolerant society where differences in opinions are fought in the streets rather than on the table. Pakistan has suffered political violence frequently and repeatedly culminating in terrorism. Also due to fragile and feeble democratic culture ,the politicians’ mindset has become wrapped and sealed in such a way that they are unable and unskilled to promote , secure and sustain political power designed to benefit their people and themselves without resorting to the use of force and coercion rather than persuasion, dialogue,discussion and mutual respect and humility.
Mohammed Ajeeb bhai, corruption and violence have become ingrained in the political culture of Pakistan. Political elites are prepared to go to any length to hold on to power. This is true at every level of the political hierarchy.
The assassination attempt on Imran Khan is part of a bloody sequence which includes assassination of liaqat Ali Khan (1951) and Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto (2007).
If we also include the death of the founder of Pakistan in suspicious circumstances and the death penalty of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the Pakistan’s road to democracy is laden with extreme violence.
The emerging information relating to the attack seems to point out that this was not a spontaneous attack but a planned one. Imran Khan was hit by four bullets and at least 9 other people were injured.However, nothing can be said with any certainty at the present.
The attack on IK case is under the jurisdiction of Punjab police which comes under the PTI Provincial government. Therefore, it can be anticipated that the actual facts relating to the attack will be quickly established and culprits brought to justice.
What is clear that this is another addition to what is now becoming an extended list of assassinations / attempts set in the culture of violence which has taken root in Pakistan society. Very very sad and damming state of affairs.
The perpetrator seemed to give a very calm composed interview afterwards.
In the first place, why such a high profile interview made public so soon ?
Secondly, despite all the surroundings how did he still get through to Imran bhai ?
Daal me kuch kalla lagta hai.
Hasan bhai, the points you raised are very pertinent. Hopefully, these will be clarified over the coming days.