Pak PM Asks Chief Justice To Set Up Judicial Commission To Probe Attack On Imran Khan

Khan has accused Prime Minister Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and an army general for the alleged conspiracy to kill him - an allegation denied by them.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday wrote a letter to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial requesting him to set up a judicial commission to probe the assassination attempt on his predecessor Imran Khan.

Khan, 70, suffered bullet injuries in the right leg on Thursday last when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him and others mounting on a container-mounted truck in the Wazirabad area, where he was leading his party's protest march.

The former prime minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf underwent surgery for bullet injuries at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital owned by his charitable organisation.

Khan has accused Prime Minister Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and an army general for the alleged conspiracy to kill him - an allegation denied by them.

In his letter to Chief Justice Bandial, Prime Minister Sharif requested him to form a judicial commission comprising the Supreme Court's all available judges.

In the letter, Sharif suggests the commission focus on five key questions including which law enforcement agencies were responsible to provide security to Khan’s convoy; whether security protocols and other standard operating procedures were in place and whether these protocols were followed.

He also suggests the commission inquire about the compliance of law enforcement agencies and administrative authorities with the prescribed investigation, evidence collection, and handling procedures following the incident and also ask about lapses and who should be responsible for them.

The letter also requests the CJP to probe if the shooting was a result of a criminal conspiracy hatched to assassinate Khan or an act by a lone shooter, as well as find actors responsible for the incident.

The premier, in his letter, also mentioned the delay in registering an FIR regarding the incident, adding that the law enforcement agencies and investigating authorities functioning under the PTI-backed Punjab government have failed to adhere to the law rules regarding the investigation of the attack including carelessness in securing the crime scene and the container.

The prime minister wrote that Khan's medical report is yet to be received by authorities for forensic analysis. It alleged that the Punjab government's mishandling of the probing process following the incident will likely result in compromised evidence.

It is not clear how long the formation of the commission and the ensuing probe would take.

Khan has already accorded conditional welcome to the announcement to set up such a commission, saying no independent probe was possible until the three persons accused by him quit their positions.

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)