LAHORE: Lending credence to PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s claims that the assassination attempt on his life at Wazirabad was part of a ‘conspiracy’, the Punjab government on Monday said the lone attacker in police custody had failed a polygraph test, hinting at the possibility of more than one attacker.

Addressing a press conference, adviser to the Punjab chief minister on home affairs, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, claimed that more than one attacker attempted to assassinate the PTI chairman during the party’s long march in Wazirabad.

He added that a polygraph test revealed there was no truth in what the main suspect Naveed Arain was saying and the investigation proved the attack was a “well-thought-out conspiracy”.

“The investigations, currently underway, will reveal whose bullet hit Moazzam and took his life away,” he said.

Flanked by Adviser to CM retired Brig Musaddiq Haider, Mr Cheema said investigations revealed that Mr Arain was a trained assassin and present at the crime scene with his accomplices.

Mr Cheema, who also served as Punjab governor, clarified that Moazzam — the PTI worker who lost his life in the attack — was not killed by Mr Khan’s security guards as their weapons were cleared in the forensic test.

Hinting at a possible conspiracy, the former governor said the PDM government had threatened the PTI to stop its long march and later, the incumbent government didn’t even condemn the attack on the PTI chief.

Mr Cheema claimed PML-N leaders fanned religious fanaticism and openly threatened Mr Khan and the long march participants, and even vowed to stop it.

After the attack, he said, the PML-N further intensified the propaganda instead of condemning the assassination attempt.

Mr Cheema said the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted by the Punjab government on Nov 16, called PML-N leaders for statements, but none of them appeared.

He said PML-N leaders should appear before the JIT “for the sake of justice” and added that their warrants should be issued if they refuse to join the investigation.

He added all PTI leaders, including himself, who were present at the container, had appeared before the JIT.

He added that only Mr Khan and party leader Zubair Niazi didn’t appear before the JIT as the latter has filed a petition with the Lahore High Court against the FIR registered in the case.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2022