Imran Khan claims intelligence people are providing him information

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that he got information regarding assassination attempt on his life from ‘within the intelligence agencies’ adding that these intelligence people are ‘appalled by what is going on in this country’. 

The former prime minister made this claim during an interview given to CNN’s Becky Anderson on Monday. 

The PTI chief survived an attempt on his life at Allahwala Chowk in Wazirabad last Thursday during his long march. 

During his interview, Imran Khan told CNN: “They took out three bullets from my right leg. The left had some shrapnel which they’ve left inside.”

Khan said his bone has been damaged and that his leg is in a cast, adding that it will take four to six weeks for him to resume normal activity.

Speaking from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, Khan said that he had information from within intelligence agencies that the shooting which injured him last week would take place.

When asked by Anderson what information he had been given on the incident, and by whom, Khan said: “Remember, three and a half years I was in power. I have connections with intelligence agencies, the different agencies that operate. How did I get the information? From within the intelligence agencies. Why? Because most people are appalled by what is going on in this country.”

Last week, the intelligence agency said it had communicated “about the threat” to Khan prior to the rally. “The organization had already sensitized the federal government about the threat to the former prime minister, who had communicated this to the Punjab provincial government,” the prime intelligence agency said in a statement.

The agency also said that Khan’s security was under the authority of the provincial government of Punjab, which is led by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

After the gun attack on him, Khan on Friday blamed government and establishment figures for a plot to kill him – a claim vociferously denied by the government and security officials.

“As the events unfolded, they are in that speech. How this would happen, how in the name of blasphemy a religious fanatic would kill me and they would blame it on him. All this is in my speech which I put on television – it’s on social media,” he said in reference to a speech he made on September 24, in which he said he outlined how the events of the shooting would transpire.

When asked about suggestions from his critics that accusing the current government of perpetrating the attack would help Khan get back into office, he replied that he doesn’t “need any reason to accuse this government for me to get back into power,” adding that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party remains popular since his ousting in April.

“They tried everything to somehow get me out of the way. When that didn’t happen, this was planned,” he added.

One person died in Thursday’s attack which injured several others, while Khan was taken to Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore for treatment after the shooting. Speaking from the hospital on Friday, and without offering evidence, Khan blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Maj Gen Faisal, who is a senior intelligence official. CNN said that it is reaching out to the three men for comment.

Pakistan’s Ministry for Information and Broadcasting last week denied Khan’s allegations against Sharif and Sanaullah at a news conference.

Pakistan military has also hit back at Khan’s claims, calling them “baseless and irresponsible” and “absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for.” In a statement on Friday night, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) called Khan’s accusations against the military and military officials “highly regrettable and strongly condemned.”

“Pakistan army prides itself for being an extremely professional and well-disciplined organisation with a robust and highly effective internal accountability system applicable across the board for unlawful acts, if any, committed by uniformed personnel,” the statement read.

“However, if the honour, safety and prestige of its rank and file is being tarnished by vested interests through frivolous allegations, the institution will jealousy safeguard its officers and soldiers no matter what,” it continued.

Yesterday, Khan also wrote a letter to President Arif Alvi saying since his government was removed from power in April, his party had been confronted with “an ever-increasing scale of false allegations, harassment, arrests and custodial torture.”