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Former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, says he has evidence of a plot to assassinate him. Photo: AFP

Pakistan ramps up security for ex-PM Khan after assassination plot claim

  • Dozens of police and troops have been assigned to Khan’s Islamabad residence; security forces will also escort him whenever he travels
  • In a speech at a rally in Sialkot, Khan did not elaborate on the alleged plot against him but claimed he had recorded a video message detailing it all
Pakistan

Pakistan strengthened security around former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, the interior ministry said, two days after he had claimed at a rally in eastern Punjab province that there was a plot to assassinate him.

The ministry said in a statement that dozens of policemen, along with paramilitary troops, have been assigned to Khan’s Islamabad residence. Security forces would also escort Khan whenever he leaves Islamabad for any part of the country, the ministry said.

In his speech at the rally in the city of Sialkot on Saturday, Khan did not elaborate on the alleged plot against him but claimed he had recorded a video message detailing it all.

Return to dynastic nepotism leaves Pakistan facing an uncertain future

Khan’s supporters have held rallies across the country since last month, when he was ousted by the opposition through a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly.

He was replaced by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Sharif on Monday also ordered maximum security arrangements for Khan, according to a separate government statement.

Khan lost the grip on power after his party allies and a key coalition partner defected in early April. Since his ouster, he has demanded new elections, claiming Sharif’s government was imposed under an alleged US plot.

Pakistani security officials stand guard. Photo: EPA-EFE

Washington has denied Khan’s conspiracy claims, and Sharif’s government has also dismissed them.

Pakistan has seen an uptick in militant attacks.

On Sunday, a suicide bomber struck near a vehicle belonging to the security forces in the country’s northwest, killing three soldiers and three children. Gunmen in the city of Peshawar killed two members of the minority Sikhs community. On Monday, Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the rare attack on Sikhs.

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