Shock And Condemnation Over The Attack On Pakistan's Former Prime Minister

The international community has condemned a deadly attack on Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, which supporters claim was an assassination attempt.

Mr. Khan, 70, is undergoing treatment after being shot in the leg during a large protest in Warzirabad, in the country's north-east.

According to his camp, he is in stable condition and could be released from the hospital in the days ahead. When his convoy came under fire, one individual was killed and at least 5 - 10 others were injured.

The assassination of Mr. Khan has energized the country. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mr. Khan's party, has called for protests across the country following Friday prayers. Schools in the capital, Islamabad, have been closed.

Pakistan's rulers have condemned the assassination of their opposing player, with Chairman Arif Alvi leading the charge.

The attack on their opponent has been condemned by Pakistan's leaders, with President Arif Alvi trying to call it a heinous attempted assassination and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif trying to order an immediate investigation.

Crime has no role in politics, and we call on all groups to refrain from conflict, harassment, and intimidation, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The former cricketer turned politician is still popular with voters, but he was defeated in a parliament vote in April.

He has since fought to reclaim his position. Mr. Khan had been going to lead a "long march" of demonstrations calling for new elections to enable his comeback, buoyed by substantial PTI successes in recent local elections. He has described his withdrawal as a political conspiracy and has been outspoken about it.

What happened during the attack

When the shooting started on Thursday, he was going to stand on an open truck bed enveloped by aides and other party members.

It was the 7th day of his long march, intended to bring him to Islamabad the following week. His vehicle was in Wazirabad, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Lahore.

According to survivors from the convoy, Mr. Khan had been flapping to backers and was about to start speaking to the audience when the gunshots rang out.

We could see the aggressor from atop the container, Mueezuddin, a party staffer, told the BBC.

We saw the attacker had drained an entire magazine... [and] was loading another journal when a boy grabbed him from behind.

Unverified social media videos show an assailant in the crowd trying to point a pistol at Mr. Khan's rally before being overcome by Mr. Khan's supporters.

According to Mueezuddin, Mr. Khan and the people around him ducked rapidly after the first shots, and after he was hit, he remained calm while his bodyguards administered first aid.

He was then transferred to a bullet-proof car and taken to a hospital in Lahore.

According to witness accounts and video footage of the incident, a security officer was also seen shooting from the container.

According to Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi, there was more than one attacking player, as Mr. Khan was shot in the leg from behind while the accused attacker was caught on the video.