Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan shot in leg and wounded at campaign march

ITV News' Chloe Keedy reports on the alleged assassination attempt against former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan


Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan was shot in the leg on Thursday, in what his supporters labelled as an assassination attempt.

A gunman opened fire on a campaign truck carrying Mr Khan, wounding him slightly along with some of his supporters, a senior leader from his party and police said.

Asad Umar, an official from Mr Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf party, said the former leader was wounded in the leg but was not seriously hurt.

The identity of the gunman, who was arrested at the scene, was not immediately known. No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Police said the attack happened in the Wazirabad district in the eastern Punjab province where Mr Khan was travelling in a large convoy of trucks and cars heading towards the capital, Islamabad, as part of his campaign aimed at forcing the government to hold early elections.

He was later seen with a bandage on his right leg, just above the foot, according to reports and a blurry image.

Mr Khan was moved to another vehicle from his container truck, from where announcements were made that he was safe.

"He is being taken to a hospital in Lahore, but he is not seriously wounded. A bullet hit him in the keg," Mr Umar told reporters.

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According to the country's Interior Ministry, the government has ordered a probe into the incident.

An unspecified number of supporters from his party who were part of the march were also wounded, according to the party's announcement.

The attack happened less than a week after Mr Khan began his march from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, along with thousands of supporters.

Since he was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April, Mr Khan has alleged that he was forced out in a conspiracy engineered by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States — claims that both the new premier and Washington have denied.