Threat of assassination still remains, former Pakistan PM Imran tells French TV

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who recently survived an assassination attempt in Wazirabad, which left him injured in the legs, said that the threat to his life was "still there."

He sustained bullet injuries in both of his lower limbs in an attempt on his life during the PTI’s long march, when his convoy stopped in Wazirabad on Nov.3.

In an interview with France24, Imran said that he still dreaded another bid on his life in the near future. "They think that the only way to get me out of the way is actually [to] eliminate me. So I think that there is still a threat.”

Imran said the suspected assassin that had been arrested right after the incident was merely a decoy and there was another gunman at the rally.

He said he only trusted the chief justice to conduct an independent investigation, arguing that any other probe would be sabotaged by the government. The former premier said he also feared further attempts on his life but vowed to re-join the anti-government march.

He said he would take "more precautions" but vowed to carry on regardless of the risks, insisting that the protest march would remain peaceful. He said the only solution was free and fair elections, stressing that his party was certain to win them.

The former premier denied having backtracked on his claim that he was toppled as part of a collusion between the US and the Pakistani elite. He stressed there was indeed evidence that the US administration wanted to oust him, saying that a diplomatic cable proved his claim and that the issue was now in the hands of the chief justice. However, he said he didn't want to go against the interests of the people of Pakistan by antagonising a superpower.