Pakistan's ex PM Imran Khan tells court 'third assassination attempt' against him afoot

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday told Lahore High Court (LHC) that a third assassination attempt has been hatched against him and sought to quash all political cases against him, saying regular court appearances will endanger his life. Khan has filed a petition in LHC requesting it to quash all 121 cases registered against him in different cities of country on various charges like treason, blasphemy, committing and inciting violence and terrorism.

According to petition, cases have been instituted on political grounds. Khan, 71, appeared before LHC amid high security. During case hearing he requested court to allow him to speak. court acceded to his request. Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chairman told court that his life is in danger.

"Regular appearances in courts will expose my life to danger. I survived two assassination attempts on my life -- one in Wazirab, Punjab, and or at Islamab Judicial Complex Islamab where ISI h taken charge of building," a court official told PTI quoting Khan as saying.

"y (a reference to powers that be) want to kill me and a third assassination attempt is in offing," Khan told court.

He said in 70 years of his life, re was t a single case against him and all se cases were filed after he was ousted as prime minister in April last year. official said five-member bench of LHC heed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi directed Khan to join police investigations into se cases on May 5. " court did t entertain request of Khan to appear before police investigation through a video link. However, court will resume its hearing on May 8," official said. Earlier, Khan claimed that he h identified a total of 'six persons' in country in a video who wanted to kill him.

"Among six, three are those whom I h named in FIR after an assassination attempt on my life in Punjab in vember last year," Khan said on Thursday. After vember 3 gun attack on his rally in Wazirab area (some 150kms from Lahore) in which he suffered bullets injuries to his leg, Khan blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and ISI's top officer Major General Faisal Naseer for hatching a plot to assassinate him.

"Interior minister (Sanaullah) says my life is under threat from foreign ncies. Let me make it clear to entire country that only threat to my life is from 3 people I named after Wazirab assassination attempt. Same 3, + 3 more I have identified in a video statement, tried to eliminate me on March 18 in ICT Judicial Complex," Khan said in a series of tweets.

"If any attempt is me w on my life, se same people will be responsible. Just as y tried to pin blame for Wazirab attack on a religious extremist - a mere smokescreen - y are w trying to create ar deception of foreign ncies," he said.