Imran Khan on Sunday announced that his party would resume the march to Islamabad from the same spot where he survived an assassination attempt but suffered bullet injuries during a rally in Punjab province, saying he preferred “death instead of living the life of a slave”.
The ousted Prime Minister, who underwent surgery, was discharged from the hospital on Sunday and moved to his private residence in the city, hospital officials said.
The 70-year-old chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party addressed a media conference at the Shaukat Khanum hospital owned by his charitable organisation. “We have decided that our march will resume on Tuesday from the same (point) in Wazirabad where I and 11 others were shot, and where Moazzam was martyred,” Khan said before he was discharged.
Khan suffered bullet injuries in his right leg when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him and others on a container-mounted truck Wazirabad, where he was leading the march. PTI worker Moazzam Gondal died due to bullet injuries during the attack on Khan. The rally was suspended after the attack.
“I will address the Haqeeqi Azadi (real freedom) march from here (in Lahore) — and our march, within the next 10 to 14 days, depending on the speed, will reach Rawalpindi,” Khan said.
He said he would join the march at Rawalpindi and lead it himself.
In a veiled reference to the powerful military establishment, Khan said: “They want to instill fear among us. But let me tell you... we will not budge from our stance and are ready to sacrifice our lives for real freedom. I prefer death instead of living the life of a slave.”
Khan had alleged that three people — Prime Minister Shehbaz, interior minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal Naseer — were behind the botched assassination attempt. The army has rejected the allegations as “baseless and irresponsible”.
Questioning whether “some people” are above the law, Khan said: “I am facing problems in getting an FIR registered on the firing incident on my container. No Punjab police officer is ready to register an FIR on my complaint. If I, being a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, cannot get a case registered related to the attack on me, then think what will happen to the common man.
“I want a transparent investigation. There was a pattern in the attack on me. First, they labelled me a blasphemer and then tried to eliminate me like slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer. The confessional statement of the suspect was recorded and released (to the media) to cover up the crime. The inspector-general police of Punjab lied that the video record of the suspect was hacked. In fact, they (police officers) are afraid to register an FIR as they have orders from them (military establishment).”
