Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of Pakistan’s Punjab province has suspended police officers and other officials for leaking the suspected attacker’s confessional statement following the gun attack on former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Khan, 70, was shot in the leg when a gunman opened fire on the container-mounted truck carrying him during his protest march on Thursday, killing one person, but the former Pakistan prime minister was unharmed in what his party called a “assassination attempt.”
According to ARY News, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has taken note of the leaking of the suspected attacker’s confessional statement following the gun attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan during the long march.
Elahi directed the Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) to take disciplinary action against the irresponsible officials. According to the report, the Station House Officer (SHO) and other officials of the concerned police station were suspended following the leak of the suspect’s confessional statement.
In a statement, the chief minister stated that all mobile phones of police station employees had been confiscated and would be subjected to a forensic audit.
Elahi issued directives to conduct an investigation into the incident of the suspected attacker’s video leak. He ordered the investigation into the gun attack to be launched by the Inspector General of Punjab.
On Thursday, the Punjab Chief Minister presided over an emergency session that issued the directives.
The assailant who opened fire on Khan during the party’s long march has admitted to the crime, claiming that Khan was his only target.
In a video statement obtained by ARY News, the attacker stated that he had been plotting the assassination attempt since Imran left Lahore. “I tried my best to kill him. I wanted to kill Imran Khan only and no one else,” he added.
The incident occurred near Allahwala Chowk in Wazirabad, Punjab, during Khan’s long march to Islamabad demanding early elections.
According to Asad Umar, the senior leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, a bullet struck Khan’s leg.
Khan underwent surgery at Lahore’s Shaukat Khanum Hospital and his condition is stable, according to his party’s leader, Omar Ayub Khan.