Sanaullah rubbishes Fawad’s claim, says Imran Khan was attacked by only one shooter

• “Govt should now hold talks with Afghan govt instead of TTP leadership.”
• “Naveed’s [confessional] statement is 100% correct,” insists Sanaullah.
• “Fitna” should be tackled by power of people’s vote, security czar says.

Categorically rejecting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry’s yesterday's claim, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Thursday insisted that only one shooter — Naveed — who was also a “religious fanatic” was involved in the attempted assassination on PTI chief Imran Khan.

A day earlier, Fawad claimed that the attempted assassination on the former prime minister was carried out by three attackers, all of whom struck him from three different sides.

“Naveed's [confessional] statement is 100% correct. No second or third person was involved in the attack,” he added.    

“It is an incident of single firing and Naveed was religiously motivated,” the security czar said, adding that Moazzam, a participant in the PTI’s rally, was killed by the bullet of Imran Khan’s guard. He added that the guard must be arrested and interrogated.

Without naming Imran Khan, Sanaullah said: “A fraudster had claimed that four bullets were recovered from his clothes.”

Taking a jab at PTI leaders, the interior minister said that only seven to eight bullets were fired on the occasion and "interestingly they received 30-35 bullets".

Imran Khan has been staging drama for the past almost two months, he said, adding that it does not take more than two weeks’ time to recover if he had received bullet injuries on his leg.

Sanaullah also accused Khan of running a campaign for the country’s default for the past two months, adding that the “fitna” should be tackled by the power of people’s vote.

“Outcomes of talks with TTP not good”

The federal minister admitted that the outcomes of talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were not good. He further said they should now hold talks with the Afghan government instead of the TTP leadership who has taken refuge in the war-torn country.

A day earlier, Sanaullah said that the government could reengage in negotiations with the TTP if the proscribed militant group won't challenge the state's writ.

"If the TTP decides to come under the ambit of the Constitution, then we can hold talks with them," he had told journalists during a press conference in Islamabad, a similar demand that the previous government put forth before the outlawed organisation.

The security czar had also said the recent National Security Committee (NSC) underlined that no form of militancy would be tolerated and a "zero-tolerance" policy has been adopted against terrorism. "There will no distinction between good and bad terrorists."

In light of the rising terror incidents, the NSC had decided earlier this week that no country would be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation to terrorists and Pakistan reserves all rights to safeguard its people.

Govt to compile authentic copy of Holy Quran’s translation

Addressing the press conference, Sanaullah said that the government has decided to compile an authentic copy of the Holy Quran with respect to its Arabic text and translation in consultation with provincial Quran Boards to prevent any kind of distortion.

He went on to say that prints of this authentic copy of the Holy Quran will be further distributed at district and tehsil levels. The interior minister said the federal and all the provincial governments will ensure that there should be authentic copies of the Quran's Arabic text as well as its translation.

He said action will be taken against any attempt to distort the Quran's text. The interior minister further said the cyber wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will be responsible for checking negative propaganda on social media.

‘Imran Khan was attacked by three shooters’

On Wednesday, Fawad Chaudhry claimed that three shooters were involved in the assassination attempt on the life of Imran Khan.

“An attempt to kill Imran Khan was made in the assassination attack. Investigations proved three attackers were involved in the attempted assassination attack on Khan,” the PTI leader had said while addressing a press conference in Lahore.

He had added that the former prime minister was attacked from three different sides and the same number of weapons were used in the attack. "No shot was fired by Imran Khan’s guards."

He had also alleged that the attack on Imran Khan was premeditated with the intention to kill him and instigate hatred. “Imran Khan spoke openly about the attacks on himself in two [PTI] gatherings,” he had said, reminding him about the assassination of ex-prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan on October 16, 1951.

Commenting on the injuries sustained by Khan and the number of bullets fired at the attack site, Fawad had said: “Imran Khan received eight wounds, there among those are bullet wounds. Fourteen bullets were found on the ground, 12 from one place, and two from another, while nine bullets were found from a building opposite [the attack site] of which seven were at one place and two at another.”

The former information minister had said only one attacker has so far been arrested, while the search for the other two continues.

— Additional input from Radio Pakistan