Ahsan Iqbal, pictured in October 2017, was attacked while leaving a public meeting Sunday. (REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood/File)
ISLAMABAD – A gunman opened fire on the country's interior minister after a public meeting in his constituency Sunday, wounding him in the shoulder, officials said.
Talal Chaudhry, the Minister of State for Interior Affairs, says Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was returning to his car after a meeting in Narowal district when he came under attack.
Senior police officer Imran Kishwar said the attacker was immediately arrested, and that the interior minister was out of danger. He said the 22-year-old gunman fired at the minister at close range. His motivation was not immediately known.
Malik Ahmed Khan, the spokesman for Punjab government, said the bullet impacted the minister's arm. He said Iqbal went to Narowal to mobilize support for his re-election.
The attack on the interior minister comes ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for mid-July. Government ministers and opposition leaders condemned the attack. The Leader of Opposition Khurshid Shah described it an attempt to portray the security apparatus as weak and create environment of fear ahead of the elections.
Popular opposition leader Imran Khan and his PTI party demanded a probe into the attack.
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