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Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in an inflammatory address on Friday shifted the blame of the assassination attempt on PTI chief Imran Khan onto the former prime minister for what he described as “crossing the red lines of religion”.
He expressed these views during the National Assembly (NA) centering on yesterday’s assassination attempt on the former prime minister, which he alleged was being used to further “political objectives”.
Imran, who has been leading an anti-government protest march to the capital for almost a week, survived a gun attack on Thursday in Punjab’s Wazirabad. He sustained a wound in his shin when the container was hit by a volley of bullets.
A PTI supporter was killed in the incident and 14 others, including lawmakers, were injured. A suspect was arrested who, in a leaked video, confessed that he attempted to kill Imran.
Addressing the NA today, Asif attempted to shift the blame onto the former premier, saying: “The suspect’s videos that have surfaced … they show that religious fanaticism motivated the attack.
“Time and time again, the former prime minister came close to crossing boundaries — or he crossed the boundaries — he crossed the red lines of religion because of which a man attacked him.”
The minister went on to quote the suspect as proof that Imran had brought the attack upon himself.
He began his speech by saying that the incident was a “cause of embarrassment for the nation”.
“And we, the federal government, want that if there is a conspiracy behind it, it should be brought to the fore.”
The defence minister stressed that “we should not refrain from taking any step that will prove to be helpful for us in this matter” and that the investigation into the incident and efforts to “go to the bottom of the matter” should not be politicised.
Asif also criticised the suspension of the police station staff in the remits of which the incident took place. “Staff there have been suspended not because the incident took place, but because the suspect’s video was leaked. And the [Punjab] chief minister then transferred the case to [a police station] in his own district.”
The defence minister saw the move as “efforts to sabotage the matter, make it political and [use it to] achieve political objectives”.
“For God’s sake, the entire nation is looking towards us … and we are letting this incident fall victim to politics,” he regretted.
The minister called for the culprits and those backing them to be exposed and constituting a joint investigation team on the incident.
“Don’t let this incident fall victim to politics,” he reiterated, while adding: “They should go after the suspects, but all that they have been doing [demonstrates] that they are not interested in the investigation. They have made Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister and DGC culprits.”
He recalled that Imran previously said he had contacts in the establishment. “And now those contacts are being named in the murder attempt [case],” the minister said. “By naming politicians and a senior army officer, they are taking the matter in a direction where they will not find any clue or suspect.”
Furthermore, he said, there were also reports that shots were fired from both sides — “that a guard also fired”. “And not just bullet casings from a pistol — said to have been used by the suspect — but also those from a submachine gun were found at the site of the incident,” he added, citing social media reports.
“And today, people trust social media more than the other media.”
The minister also said Imran, too, had previously given “warnings” of the occurrence of such an incident.
Then on October 28, the Intelligence Bureau informed the Punjab government an incident of such nature could take place “against you in the area or its vicinity”.
“There was a [prior] warning.”
But now, the minister claimed, the incident was being used to achieve political objectives. “And I condemn it.”
He also condemned what he described as using the event to defame any individuals or institutions, and at the same time, gave assurances that the federal government would fully support any steps taken to complete an inquiry into it and meet the “merits of justice”.