DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has insisted Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan is facing the fire of the hatred he has himself lit, declaring the use of ‘religious fanaticism’ in politics will hurt him the most.

Reacting to the Wazirabad incident, he said the PTI long march was attacked in Punjab where the PTI was in power. He said the attacker was caught on the spot and handed over to the Punjab police. He said PTI chief Imran Khan and his associates were accusing the prime minister, the interior minister and officers of state institutions of being behind the attack without an investigation into the matter, which was a dangerous ploy.

Mr Rehman, who is also the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief, said the confessional statement of the alleged shooter was released by the Punjab police soon after his arrest, in which he told investigators that he targeted Imran Khan because he had ”committed blasphemy”.

The PDM chief demanded a high-level investigation into the matter as many questions arose in the minds of people.

The PDM chief questioned why Imran Khan was not moved to any nearby government hospital where a medical board could have ascertained different angles of the matter. But, he said the PTI chief preferred to go to his own hospital in Lahore, so a report should not be made which contradicted his claims.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2022