“The joint investigation team (JIT) probing the November 3 gun attack on Pakistan’s former premier Imran Khan has stopped working after its head is suspended from service,” a senior police officer said on November 26.
Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, suffered bullet injuries in the right leg when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him and others standing on a container-mounted truck in the Wazirabad area, where he was leading the march against the government to press for snap elections.
He has blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal Naseer for hatching a plot to assassinate him.
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"The JIT investigating the assassination attempt on the life of former premier Imran Khan is no more functional after the Federal Service Tribunal allowed the federal government's decision to suspend Lahore police chief Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, who is its (JIT) head," a senior officer of the Punjab police told PTI on Saturday.
There had been a tussle between the Shehbaz Sharif government and the Punjab administration where Mr. Khan's PTI is ruling in coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) over the appointment of Mr. Dogar as Lahore police head.
The officer said Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi will soon nominate the new head of the JIT in case there is no provision in law to retain Mr. Dogar as JIT head.
He further said the JIT under Mr. Dogar had recorded the statements of around 800 policemen and PTI workers who were present close to Mr. Khan when the attack on him took place.
He said the JIT had also interrogated the arrested suspect Muhammad Naveed, who insisted that he acted alone. Mr. Khan underwent surgery for bullet injuries at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital Lahore owned by his charitable organisation and shifted to Lahore's Zaman Park residence.
The Punjab police had registered the FIR in connection with the assassination attempt on Mr. Khan but didn't mention the 'high profile suspects. including ISI's top man Khan held responsible for the attack.
Mr. Khan dismissed the FIR, saying without nominating Prime Minister Sharif, Interior Minister Sanaullah, and ISI Counter Intelligence Wing head Maj-Gen Faisal in the FIR it is a mere "piece of trash".
The Punjab police said they nabbed Naveed from the crime scene and he had confessed to his crime. Naveed in his confessional statement said that he wanted to kill Mr. Khan as music was played during Azan time during his long march.
Indirectly blaming the powerful military establishment, Mr. Khan had said: "I wonder if I being former Prime Minister of Pakistan can't get an FIR registered in connection with the attack on me and other PTI workers what will happen to the common man." He claimed that Naveed is a trained shooter and there was another shooter who opened fire on him from another direction.
