The never-ending nightmare of the blasphemy law in Pakistan has a new victim — former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was shot in the right leg on Nov. 3 in the eastern city of Wazirabad in Punjab province, where he was leading a protest march against the government.
Khan is the fourth high-pro-file figure to have been attacked in Pakistan by vigilantes who swear by the blasphemy law and hold the view that everyone who disgraces Islam’s holy figures must die.
Government officials termed the attack as the work of a lone gunman and “a very clear case of religious extremism.”
“He pretends to be giving a message like the Prophet Muha-mmad”
Naveed Mohammad Basheer, the arrested assailant, has report-edly confessed to the crime and accused Khan of committing “blasphemy” and cited this as a reason for the attempt to kill him.
“He was making noise during Azan [call to prayer] time. He claims to be the prophet of this century. He pretends to be giving a message like the Prophet Mu-hammad.