Govt ready to provide all help on Wazirabad probe provided Imran is part of it: Marriyum
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday said the federal government was ready to provide any and all aid for an investigation into the assassination attempt against former prime minister Imran Khan, provided he became a part of it as well.
Imran was shot at and injured on Thursday evening when a suspect, standing in front of the container carrying the PTI chief and senior party leaders, showered a volley of bullets with an automatic pistol when the party’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march reached Wazirabad’s Allahwala Chowk.
Earlier today in his first press conference since the incident, Imran alleged that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior military official were behind the attack. He said that no investigation could proceed until the three resigned from their positions.
Responding to his claims while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Aurangzeb said: “You can get an investigation [from] wherever you want but you will have to become a part of it because you have made an allegation.
“We are ready to appear in any kind of investigation … the Centre will completely cooperate with it [but] the nation will not hear your accusations and false story.”
The minister railed against Imran’s allegations, questioning what link the prime minister or Sanaullah had with the investigation since the matter happened in Punjab which the PTI had control over.
She said the entire provincial machinery and administration in Punjab belonged to the PTI and the Punjab police released the assailant’s video statements then why was the PTI chief raising fingers at the three individuals?
“Twenty-four hours pass and you accuse the prime minister, interior minister and an institution [official] and after 24 hours you still can’t register a FIR (first information report) because you know you are lying.”
Aurangzeb said Imran could become the head of any investigation committee if he so desired but he would have to provide proof of his claims.
Regarding his admission that he had information about the attempted attack beforehand, Aurangzeb lashed out at him and said: “Why did you waste the lives and blood of those innocent people or not tell the Punjab government or remain exposed and continued the long march?”
She questioned whose hands were responsible for the death of a person in the incident if Imran knew about the attempt and yet did not call off the march. The minister also asked whether the injured had received the same level of care as the PTI chief.
Aurangzeb said that the Punjab government should “immediately” carry out an investigation into the incident.