Imran Khan assassination attempt: Meet Ibtisam Hassan, the ‘hero’ who saved Pak former PM’s life
The man who took on Imran Khan's attacker has been identified as Ibtisam Hassan
In Pakistan, political figures have previously been attacked. Fortunately, Imran Khan, the former prime minister, very narrowly escaped and sustained bullet shots in his right leg during his long march for "real freedom" on Thursday in Wazirabad. Six members of his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including its leader Faisal Javed and Ahmed Chattha, sustained injuries in the attack.Abigger tragedy was averted because one man had the presence of mind to tackle the gunman with bare hands. He is being hailed as a ‘hero’ by many Pakistanis.
Who isIbtisam Hassan?
Supporters of Khan are hailing the man who fought off the armed assailant as a hero. Ibtisam Hassan, who is reportedly in his early thirties, has been named by some as the "saviour". According to reports, he was scooped up on the shoulders and lavished with compliments for his bravery.
According to Ibtisam, the shooter attacked while he was 10 to 12 feet away from the vehicle transporting Khan with a container mounted on it. He spotted a man loading his gun and keeping an eye on the 70-year-old PTI leader.
Ibtisam claimed that after the alleged shooter fired one shot at Khan, helunged at the assailant, seized his hand, and forced it down towards the ground. The gunmanfired again, but this time he struck another man. He apparently dropped the gun in the midst of the tussle.
“I saw him open fire and tackled him before he could fire another round. He dropped the gun and started fleeing. I chased and caught him... Khan sahab, jab tak hum zinda hain, aanch nahi aa sakti. (Khan sir, till the time I am alive, you will not be harmed),” the supporter of the former PM said, according to a report inIndia Today.
Ibtisam claimed to have pursued the suspect and apprehended him with the aid of other marchers.
The attacker
Naveed Mohammad Basheer has been named as the shooter who attacked Khan. In addition to admitting his crime, he charged the former PMwith blasphemy, claiming that this was what drove him to attack Khan.
“Imran Khan is misleading the people so I thought to kill him. He is doing blasphemy, playing music, and dancing when Azaan happens, I just want to kill Imran Khan. I will not leave him. There is no one behind me. I am alone," Basheer, a resident of Sodhra in the Wazirabad district, can be heard saying in a viral confessional video soon after he was arrested by the cops. He was caught with a 9mm pistol and two empty magazines.
Basheer was nabbed by the police and later taken to an “undisclosed location”.
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(With inputs from agencies)
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