A close aide to former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has said that Khan, who survived an apparent assassination attempt on Thursday, will hold nationwide protests until its demand for political change in the country is met.
Khan was shot in the leg during a rally on Thursday that was aimed at marching towards Islamabad to press for early elections and the resignation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“Today, after Friday prayers, there will be protests across the country, which will continue until Imran Khan’s demand is met,” aide Asad Umar said on Twitter. It was not immediately clear if Umar was referring to Sharif quitting or the holding of snap polls.
The prime minister led a coalition of parties that removed Khan from power through a parliamentary vote in April.
Khan’s supporters began gathering again early on Friday at the place where he was shot and called on the former prime minister to restart his march on Islamabad.
“The march must go ahead. It cannot stop. People are very angry, it will become more intense,” Ansar Bashir, 40, a supporter who witnessed the shooting from close by, said as quoted by Reuters in a report on Friday.
“This has given Wazirabad a bad name. He should stop (the protests), more lives will be lost,” said Tahirul Qamar, a medical worker who had come to the market.
The attack on Khan was widely condemned by world leaders and famous public figures. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the White House also condemned the attack.
