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Reuters
Reuters
Politics
By Asif Shahzad and Mubasher Bukhari

Pakistan police name lone shooter in gun attack on ex-premier Khan

FILE PHOTO: Former Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses a news conference after he was wounded following a shooting incident during a long march in Wazirabad, at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre in Lahore, Pakistan November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza

Pakistani police on Tuesday opened a criminal investigation into a failed assassination attempt on former prime minister Imran Khan and said just one shooter was involved.

Khan, 70, has suggested that there could be two people who shot at him at anti-government rally in the eastern city of Wazirabad last Thursday.

FILE PHOTO: People react as police use tear gas to disperse them during a protest to condemn the shooting incident on a long march held by Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Wazirabad, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Waseem Khan

The former cricket star, who has been pressing for early elections since being ousted as premier after losing a parliament vote in April, is recovering from leg wounds at his home in Lahore city.

Police identified the suspect as Mohammad Naveed, man in his 30s.

A copy of the police report, which was seen by Reuters, said a man in the crowd near Khan had taken out a pistol and started shooting, wounding Khan and 10 other people, one of whom later died.

FILE PHOTO: A police officer walks past a truck at a crime scene after a shooting incident on a long march by Pakistan former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Wazirabad, Pakistan November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

Police said the suspected shooter was arrested after Khan supporter Ibtesam Hasan overpowered him and threw off his aim.

Regional police chief Akhtar Abbas told Reuters that a criminal investigation had been launched after registration of a formal case.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday the suspect was self-motivated.

Vehicles escort former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was wounded after a shooting incident on a long march in Wazirabad, heading to his residence after being discharged from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, in Lahore, Pakistan November 6, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer

"The things we got from his cell phone showed that he was fully motivated, fully committed," he told a news conference.

Reuters journalists last Friday visited the district of Wazirabad where the suspect lived in a dingy house with his widowed mother, wife and two sons - the youngest just two weeks old.

Police confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday this was the same man as the suspect Mohammad Naveed named in the case.

FILE PHOTO: Women walk past a mosque situated in a narrow alley leading to the residence of Mohammad Naveed, a suspected shooter, according to police, from a long march held by Pakistan former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Wazirabad, Pakistan November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo

Neighbours said he had this year returned from Saudi Arabia where had worked as plumber for several years.

They described him as a quiet person and that his connection with the attack came as a surprise, although he had shown some signs of religiosity since his return to Pakistan.

"I knew him since his childhood, he had no bad habits, his act just shocked us," said neighbour Mohammad Saddiq, adding the man lately had preached to him about saying his prayers.

He attended neighbourhood mosque and had recently objected to a music event at a nearby school, asking to ensure music was not played at prayer time.

Khan said in a Tweet on Tuesday the police case was "farcical".

He has accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and intelligence official Major-General Faisal Nasser and planning to assassinate him. The government and military have denied this.

Khan launched what is known as a long-march protest rally from Lahore to the capital on Oct. 28, which his party said will resume on Thursday at the same place where he was attacked.

Khan supporters blocked roads near the capital Islamabad on Tuesday, disrupting traffic and forcing schools to close.

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad and Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore, Pakistan; Editing by Robert Birsel and Angus MacSwan)

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