Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot four times during a protest rally, with bullets hitting each of his legs; ex-cricketer says his "left tibia was fractured" in the attack on Thursday
Friday 4 November 2022 15:35, UK
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has revealed details of his shooting during a protest rally.
Khan was shot four times, with two bullets hitting each of his legs, during a protest march in Pakistan on Thursday.
Describing his injuries, he said he was hit "on the right thigh [with] two bullets" and on "the left thigh [with] two bullets" - adding that his "left tibia was fractured".
He said there was a fracture on his right leg and near the main artery there were some bullet fragments.
"If it was hit there, there would have been a lot of bleeding," he said.
"We took these four bullet fragments out but they did not touch any major structures."
He added: "Once I recover, I will once again come onto the streets."
Khan said two shooters tried to assassinate him and they killed one person and injured 11 others.
He said three people had devised the plan to assassinate him, but gave no names and provided no evidence for his allegations.
The former Prime Minister gave an interview to Sky News two hours before he was shot in which he said he was hopeful there would not be violence during his march across the country.
Asked if the prospect of violence worried him, he said: "I've been on the road for six months now, what I've seen I'm confident that I will be able to direct it through elections. I will be able to direct this through elections and bring about a change. But the other possibility is, you would not want it to go the other way."
Footage from the scene captured what local media is citing as the gunman, who appeared to escape as members of the public tried to take the weapon off him.
Police are questioning the alleged attacker, who appeared in a video saying he carried out the shooting and acted alone.
The cricketing hero-turned-politician - who has been calling for new elections since he was ousted from power in April - has been delivering impassioned speeches at gatherings across the country.
He was six days into a march from Lahore to Islamabad in his push for radical change when the shooting took place.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Khan's successor, condemned the shooting and has ordered an immediate investigation.
Before entering politics, Khan had a glittering two-decade cricket career with Pakistan, after making his first-class debut as a 16-year-old.
Between 1971 and 1976 Khan played county cricket for Worcestershire and made his Test debut against England in June 1971 at Edgbaston.
In 1974 he made his ODI debut against England at Trent Bridge. During the 70s he established himself as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket and one of the pioneers of reverse swing bowling.
In a glittering Test career, Khan played 88 matches, taking 362 wickets and scoring 3,807 runs. He also made 175 ODI appearances, scoring 3,709 runs and taking 182 wickets.
In 1982, Khan was handed the captaincy of Pakistan's cricket team at the age of 31, taking over from Javed Miandad.
He captained the side in 48 Tests, winning 14 and losing eight and led the side in 139 ODIs, winning 77 and losing 57.
Khan led the side to their first Test win in England at Lord's and he also led Pakistan to their first Test series win victory over India and England in 1987.
The fast bowler retired from international cricket after leading Pakistan to victory in the 1987 World Cup but returned to the side a year later.
Khan's career-high as a captain and cricketer came when he led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
