Parvez Elahi distances himself from JIT probe into Imran Khan attack

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi has totally distanced himself from a probe into an assassination attempt on Imran Khan to avoid any blame from his coalition partner if the investigation’s conclusion does not meet the expectation of PTI’s top leadership. 

Informed sources said that from the constitution of a JIT and all those assisting it, the Chief Minister has not interfered and let the PTI leaders appoint their choice officers as its members. From the very beginning, the Chief Minister did not agree with Imran Khan’s nominations of those who he alleged were behind an attempt on his life. A senior PMLQ source, when approached, sounded upset with the “conspiracy theories” of PTI.

The PMLQ source, on condition of not being named, said that Imran Khan and the PTI do not need any enemy. “They are enough to destroy themselves,” the source said, lamenting that despite popularity, the PTI is set on self-harming mode.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday continued his attack on the military establishment and held some ‘powerful’ people responsible for the attack on him. He said these few ‘powerful’ were also a hurdle to a fair probe into the Wazirabad attack.

Imran Khan and the PTI are now focusing on the report of the JIT, which has reportedly found that three firearms were used in the attack. Federal agencies, however, see little credibility in the JIT’s findings.

The PTI leadership insisted that three attackers were involved in the assassination attempt. They add that no shot was fired by Imran Khan’s guards. Citing the JIT report, they say 14 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.

Contrary to what the PTI says, the Intelligence Bureau in its report submitted to the federal government weeks back did not find any conspiracy involved and termed it a lone-wolf attack. The report said that the gunshots by the pistol were followed by SMG fire by unidentified people deputed for security purposes in the rally. Referring to the postmortem report of the PTI worker killed there, it said that the wound on the head of the only deceased in the attack was apparently caused by a rifle projectile and was not due to a 30-bore or 9mm pistol fire.

Referring to CTD forensic team findings, the report said eight bullets had hit the container-top, six bullet holes were found, whereas two bullets brushed aside the container wall. The report said that one assailant had opened fire on the container carrying Imran Khan and other PTI leaders. Thirteen persons, including Imran Khan, sustained injuries, whereas an individual died on the spot. The assailant, Muhammad Naveed, was caught red-handed from the crime scene.

The IB report said the assailant was holding an automatic 9mm pistol. He directed shots towards the container and emptied the gun in one go. Reportedly, 12 empties of 9mm and two of SMG have been collected from the crime scene. On arrest, two magazines and 13 live bullets were also recovered from him.

In its analysis of the postmortem report of the deceased (Moazzam), the report said: a) The entry wound is 3 cm X 1 cm whereas the exit wound is 12 cm X 9 cm. b) There is no blackening or tattooing around the injuries. C) The wound was apparently caused by a rifle projectile and not due to a 30 bore or 9mm pistol fire. D) Had these injuries been caused by Naveed’s pistol, there would have been blackening or tattooing marks around Moazzam’s eyebrow. Moreover, in that case the measurement of the entry and the exit would have been less around 1 cm X 1.5 cm or 1 cm X .85 cm.