GUJRAT: Ibtisam Hassan, a 30-year-old resident of Wazirabad who undertook the heroic deed of overpowering the attacker on Imran Khan on Thursday, urges the PTI chairman to use a bulletproof container for his rallies.

“The bullet has no eye and it can hit anyone but we have only one Imran Khan whom the nation does not afford to lose,” the emotional party supporter said.

Mr Hassan, who ekes out a living through the online business of stainless utensils, has been in protective custody of the Punjab government. He was driven to Lahore by government officials for his safety and has been staying at the Punjab chief minister’s house since Thursday night.

Speaking to Dawn over phone from Lahore on Friday, Mr Hassan said he had been staying at the chief minister’s house since Thursday night. He said a contingent of Punjab police saluted him in the presence of two dozen PTI lawmakers. He said he was not an active PTI worker or office-bearer but a supporter of Imran Khan because of “his revolutionary vision for Pakistan”.

“I have been voting for the PTI since the 2013 general election. In Wazirabad, I voted for the Jamaat-i-Islami candidate on the Punjab Assembly seat and the PTI candidate on the National Assembly seat,” he said. He said he declined to speak to some Indian news channels despite receiving calls as PTI leader Ali Zaidi had advised him not to attend any call from India or Brazil (because of sensitivity of the situation).

“The attacker was just 10 meters away from me and no sooner had I spotted the man with a pistol in his hand than I leaned towards him and tried to grab the pistol but, in the meantime, he had fired several shots,” he said. He said Moazzam Gondal was standing behind him and he also tried to grab the pistol but unfortunately fell to a bullet.

He said the attacker tried to flee but later was caught from a car parking yard near the scene. He said he had no regret over endangering his life as “Imran Khan’s life is more important for the country.”

“I have asked several PTI leaders to arrange a bullet-proof vehicle for Mr Khan’s rallies,” he said. He said he was not an active political worker and did not want fame. “What bothers me is that if a former prime minister had been thrown out of the government and can’t get justice, how can an ordinary man get justice,” he said.

Answering a question, he said he was in favour of Mr Khan’s demand of having a two-thirds majority in parliament without which no reform was possible.

Ibtisam met Imran Khan at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital and invited him to visit his residence in Wazirabad. Mr Khan promised to visit his place whenever he would travel to the city.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2022