PTI chief Imran Khan — in what can be termed an explosive claim — alleged on Friday that former president Asif Ali Zardari was behind a new plot to assassinate him for which the PPP co-chairman had “given money to a terrorist outfit”.

In a televised address, the ex-premier said that plans had been hatched to assassinate him as soon as he was ousted.

“Earlier, in a public rally, I had told my supporters that there were four people who had planned to kill me […] but they backed off when I made these revelations.”

Then a “plan B” was made to “eliminate” me in the name of religion, Imran continued, referring to the attack on his life in Wazirabad. “But I got to know about that too and I revealed their plan in two public rallies.”

Referring to Wazirabad attack, he said that the people behind these “conspiracies” had almost succeeded but “God saved him”.

“Now they have made a plan C and Zardari is behind it. He has unlimited corrupt money […] the money he loots from the Sindh government is used in elections, to buy MPAs […] whether it is the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Gilgit-Baltistan, he recklessly throws money around.

“He has given this money to a terror outfit. His facilitators are powerful people in the agencies. The decision has been taken from three sides and they have planned to execute the next crime,” Imran claimed.

The PTI chairman went on to say that irrespective of whatever was planned, he would be back in the streets as soon as he recovered from the injuries he had sustained during the Wazirabad attack.

“But if something happens to me, my nation should know who was behind it […] so that my nation never forgives them.”

PPP rejects Imran’s claims

Meanwhile, PPP leaders rejected the PTI chief’s claims regarding Zardari. In a statement, PPP’s Shazia Marri said Imran “did not face any danger” Zardari and urged the ex-premier to beware of the “snakes in his sleeves”.

PPP leader Saleem Mandviwalla said that Imran was attempting to mislead the nation by making such claims against Zardari. He noted that Imran had remained a “supporter” of terrorists in the past.

“Imran Khan’s mental state must be examined,” he said. He said that Imran was attempting to blackmail the government by making false claims.

“Imran Khan is trying to save his dead politics using a false and misleading narrative,” he said.

Additional input from Nadir Guramani