LAHORE – The suspected gunman who was arrested for the assassinationattempt on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, has shown his affiliation withTehreek-e-Labbaik party (TLP).
In a report submitted by deputy commissioner of Narowal to Punjab chiefsecretary, it was revealed that the 21-year-old suspect, identified as AbidHussain, is affiliated to TLP. However, the TLP leader Khadim HussainRizvi, has condemned the attack in a statement and said his party has notauthorized any of its workers to take up arms, *Reuters* reported.
Abid was arrested shortly after the attack on the interior minister by thepolice, while another suspect, Azeem, was also apprehended by police onMonday, local media reported. Azeem was allegedly Abid’s accomplice, whoaccompanied him to the site but had managed to escape after the incidenttook place.
The interior minister was attending the meeting in his constituency inNarowal district when he was shot in the right arm on Sunday evening. Theminister, however, is said to be now in a stable condition.
The police took Abid into custody after workers of Pakistan Muslim League –Nawaz, standing near him, tackled him. Malik Ahmed Khan, a spokesman forthe Punjab government said, “The attacker was about to fire a second shotwhen police and people in the meeting overpowered him.”
Abid carried a 30-bore weapon, which he pulled out and fired at theminister. He has later confessed that he had opened fire at Iqbal due tothe Khatm-e-Nubuwat issue.