Former Pakistani Prime Minister shot, in stable condition

By Nathan Morley

The former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been shot in what the country’s president described as a heinous assassination attempt’.

Mr. Khan is being treated at a hospital in Lahore for an injury to his leg. Earlier, police released a video of the alleged gunman confessing to wanting to kill Mr. Khan.

The former leader had been on a protest march to denounce snap elections. Pakistan has a long history of deadly political violence.

A video of the attack showed Mr. Khan standing with his aides in a container mounted on top of a truck as it moved slowly through a crowd of his supporters. As gunshots rang out, Mr. Khan and others on the truck appeared to duck down.

Mr Khan is understood to be in a stable condition.

Just last month, the election commission in Pakistan disqualified Khan from holding public office in a case described by the former cricketer as politically motivated.

Political activity in Pakistan is fraught with danger. In 2007, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated at a public rally.