Pakistan’s Interior Minister was recovering in hospital on Monday, after being shot in a suspected assassination attempt possibly linked to blasphemy, with the attack seen as an ominous sign for security ahead of nation-wide elections.
Ahsan Iqbal, 59, was shot in the right arm as he prepared to leave a public meeting in his constituency in Punjab province late on Sunday.
A man identified by police as Abid Hussain, said to be in his early 20s, was wrestled to the ground by officers and bystanders as he was preparing to fire a second shot. He is due to appear in an anti-terrorism court on Monday.
Police are still investigating, but local deputy commissioner Ali Anan Qamar said the shooter said he was inspired by a controversy last year, in which a small amendment to the oath election candidates must swear, had to be hastily reversed after it was linked to blasphemy. The attack was swiftly condemned by the international community as Pakistanis voiced fears it represented an attempt to weaken democracy ahead of the federal elections.
