ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday denounced an "assassination" attempt on former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan during his anti-government march to Islamabad, voicing their support for the South Asian country and its people.
Khan was shot in the shin in a shooting during his anti-government march near the city of Wazirabad, some 200km (120 miles) from the capital Islamabad. His aides have called it a “well-planned assassination.”
The former premier has been leading a caravan of supporters to Islamabad from the eastern city of Lahore since October 28, in a bid to force the government into announcing early elections.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's strong condemnation and denunciation of the attempted assassination of Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan," the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The Ministry affirms the Kingdom's standing with Pakistan and its people against all threats to its security, stability, and development process, noting the Kingdom's support for all efforts aimed at eliminating violence, extremism, and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations."
The Kingdom wished safety, stability and prosperity to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its people.
The UAE condemned the attack on Khan and expressed solidarity with Pakistan and its people in the face of "violence and terrorism."
"The UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts that aim to destabilize security and stability, and are inconsistent with humanitarian values and principles," the Emirati foreign ministry said in a statement.
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also expressed its strong condemnation of the "assassination attempt" on Khan.
"The General Secretariat reiterated #OIC’s firm position against all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism in whatever its forms and motives," it said on Twitter.
In a press statement, Kuwait condemned the attempt to "assassinate" Khan and reiterated its firm stance against “violence and terrorism.”
The statement affirmed Kuwait's solidarity with Pakistan and support for all the measures taken by the South Asian country to maintain its security and stability.
