• Once again, Imran’s life is in danger, party’s lawyer says.
• Why these cases are being filed in Islamabad, asks PTI leader. 
• Khan should be allowed to appear virtually before court, urges Awan.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Advocate Babar Awan on Friday claimed there was strong evidence suggesting that a plan was being hatched by foreign agencies to launch another assassination attempt on PTI Chairman Imran Khan. 

It should be noted that during the PTI long march, a gunman opened fire at the former prime minister in Wazirabad, Gujranwala district in November last year, injuring him in the legs. 

“Some people mocked my media talk adding that the government maintains two stances on Imran Khan’s life attempt,” Awan said speaking at a press conference at PTI’s office in Islamabad.

 “One was: no life attempt was made on Khan and the second he was attacked by a religious fanatic.”

The former premier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence last year, had reiterated twice that he would be attacked, while the joint Investigation Team (JIT) had also established Khan was shot at from three different directions, he added. 

“Once again, Imran’s life is in danger and we have strong evidence to support it. New assassination attempts are being schemed against Khan,” claimed the PTI stalwart.

Demanding answers from the government regarding the security risks and threats facing the PTI chief, Awan underlined that more than 100 cases had been registered against Khan in Islamabad alone. 

“Why these cases are being filed in Islamabad? Who shut the CCTV cameras? Who removed security from the anti-terrorism court (ATC), and who called the security personnel off the judicial complex?” 

He went on to say: “The lawyers of Islamabad deem the Kachehri (Judicial Complex) as a death trap”.

During Imran’s appearance before ATC, there was no security in sight. “Why can’t  Khan be allowed to appear virtually before the court when his attacker can be allowed to do so?” Babar asked.

He said  Khan should be dealt with by the rule of law but he should also be allowed to appear virtually before the court.

“In order to deprive Imran Khan of his personal security, lawsuits are being filed against his personal security staff,” Awan said while mentioning that Ahmed Niazi, the PTI chief’s security in-charge was facing such cases.

Awan revealed they were informed that Khan would be called to Kachehri and killed there. “The PTI chairman is being stressed to come out and appear before the court,” he said. 

“There are two kinds of cases against the PTI chief. The cases of atrocities that took place in May are also being registered against us[PTI].” 

He said around 120 party workers had been detained, adding, there had been numerous killings in Kachehris in the past.   

Awan said the First Investigation Report (FIR) would definitely be filed for the Wazirabad incident, and demanded that PM Shehbaz and his government give PTI in writing that if anything happened to Khan, their [government] would be responsible for it.