Imran Khan Shot At: What Is Ex-Pak PM's 'Long March' That Came Under Attack?

Imran Khan's 'Long March' began on 28 October from the Liberty Chowk in Lahore and will end in Islamabad.

Image used for representation only. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, center, gestures to his supporters at a rally in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Khan along with thousands of his supporters in a large convoy of buses and cars Friday began his much-awaited march on the capital Islamabad from the eastern city of Lahore on Friday to demand the holding of snap elections, a sign of deepening political turmoil.

(Photo: Chetan Bhakuni/The Quint)

In what has been claimed to be an assassination attempt, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot in the leg during the ‘Real Freedom’ rally of his 'Long March' in Gujranwala on Thursday, 3 November.

But what is this 'Long March' that Imran Khan, who was ousted from power in April earlier this year, has been leading for a week?

What is the 'Long March'? The former PM and the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had said on 25 October that a "freedom" march will begin on 28 October from the Liberty Chowk in Lahore and will end in Islamabad.

He had also said that he will personally lead the march in what he promised would be the "biggest sea of people" ever seen. A PTI leader told Pakistani media that the march will be joined by workers and supporters of Khan from the city that it enters.

Why is he conducting this march? According to Khan, the march is being held for the country's haqeeqi azadi, that is, for the country's earned freedom.

How long could the march go on? Imran Khan has hinted that his march could go on for months instead of ending at Islamabad. "This is our march for haqeeqi azaadi and it has no timeframe," he said during a rally.

What are his demands? Khan demanded "free and fair" elections during a rally at Gakharmandi on the sixth day of the march.

He also demanded the firing of two officers – ISI DG-C Maj Gen Faisal Naseer and Islamabad Sector Commander Faheem Raza – for allegedly picking up and torturing members of his party.

Who has Imran targeted? The former PM has targeted country's spy chief and other intelligence officers. He slammed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general (DG) for holding a "political" press conference last week.

What was this press conference about? In an unprecedented event, the head of the ISI directly addressed the media on 27 October, with the agenda being to discuss the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya, and former PM Imran Khan's allegedly hostile approach towards the country's military.

What is the case of the slain journalist? On the night of 23 October, Arshad Sharif was shot dead at a police checkpoint close to Nairobi, Kenya. The Kenyan police claimed it to be a case of "mistaken identity."

How is the case related to Khan? The 49-year-old TV anchor who worked with Pakistan's ARY TV was known for being close to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sharif had fled the country to Kenya after he was charged with sedition by Pakistan's security agencies earlier this year.

What else was said in the press conference? ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar addressed the media. On Sharif's killing, they said that "it has to be examined whether this is a case of mistaken identity or one of targeted killing."

Talking about Khan, who had called the army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa a "traitor" earlier this year before the former's ouster, the ISI chief said that while citizens can express their opinion, why did Khan "praise him so much in the past if he was a traitor?"

"If you see him as a traitor, then why do you meet him through the back door? […] Don’t do this where you meet quietly at night through the back door and express your unconstitutional wishes but call [the army chief] a traitor in broad daylight. That’s a big contradiction between your words and your actions," Anjum asked.

What are experts saying? Dr Tara Kartha, in her opinion piece for The Quint, writes, "In sum, as Khan prepares for his grand march, he's likely to find the people even more on his side than ever, disbelieving everything that the army says, and with nothing but contempt for the present lot. But there’s no denying he’s on dangerous ground with such powerful enemies. His advantage? They’ve got nothing on him barring the sale of a few trumpery gifts." You can read the full piece here.

(With inputs from Dawn and ARY News.)