Launching election campaign, Imran says ready to 'forgive attackers'.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said Saturday that he is ready to "forgive" those who had orchestrated an "attack" against him - in November last year - as he launched the election campaign in two provinces - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

Khan was shot in the legs on November 3 as he waved to crowds from a truck-mounted container while leading a protest march to Islamabad to pressure the government into announcing an early election.

The rally was cut short in Rawalpindi, where Khan announced his plan of dissolving the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies - which materialised last month.

The PTI chief - whose government was overthrown in April last year - had blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a military officer for being involved in the alleged assassination plot.

Ever since his ouster, the PTI chief has kept criticising the military, the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government, and other institutions for being involved in an alleged plot to remove his party from power.

But toning down his rhetoric in a speech to workers via video link, the deposed prime minister - who has called incumbent rulers "dacoits" -said he was ready to "mend fences with everyone".

The general elections in Punjab are scheduled for April 30, while the date for the polls in KP is yet to be announced as Governor Ghulam Ali has not made a decision yet.

In light of the SC's split ruling, President Arif Alvi had announced the date for the Punjab polls after consulting the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). But the KP governor is yet to "open" the letter that the ECP has sent to his office.

Speaking to his party workers and the nation, Khan reiterated that fresh elections are the sole solution to the prevailing crisis being faced by the country.

Lauding the Supreme Court, the deposed prime minister said that the apex court took action as the governors and the Election Commission of Pakistan did not announce a date for the general elections in Punjab and KP.

'74 cases have been registered against me so far,' Khan said, adding that the establishment had asked his party workers and leaders to join the PML-N as they had marked a cross on him.

Stressing the need for fresh elections, Khan said that instability would not end until a public-mandated government is elected in the country.

'After the Supreme Court verdict, I was sure that they would conduct general elections. Polls are the first...