'Unsubstantiated allegations' fan flames of discord.

LAHORE -- Just a day after he escaped an assassination attempt during his party's long march, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan vowed he would be back on the streets as soon as he was discharged from hospital.

In the meantime, he urged his followers to continue protesting against the 'injustices' being committed by the incumbent rulers allegedly with the support of some military officials.

Mr Khan was speaking to the media on Friday from Shaukat Khanum Hospital where he is under treatment for bullet injuries he receAived in Thursday's attack. A high-spirited Imran faced the media with one leg plastered and resting on a chair after he was operated upon and bullet fragments removed from both his legs the previous night.

The PTI chief doubled down on his accusations against the prime minister, interior minister and a senior intelligence official who he identified as Maj-Gen Faisal Naseer - without giving any evidence - of hatching a plot to eliminate him, and demanded they immediately resign to ensure a fair investigation.

'The conspirators planned a killing on the lines of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer's assassination while using religion and a religious fanatic as a cover,' Mr Khan said, adding he had revealed the 'conspiracy' in his address at a public gathering on Sept 24. PTI workers and supporters, meanwhile, continued protests across the country on Friday.

The former premier said the 'conspirators' wanted to eliminate him and the party that was struggling to ensure peace and rule of law in society. Explaining the firing incident, the PTI chief said: 'A burst of bullets was sprayed from a side of the container that caused injuries to my legs and I fell down. As I fell, I saw another burst being fired from the front of the container that flew over my head,' adding if the shooting was synchronised, he wouldn't be alive.

'This is not the work of a religious fanatic as being projected, but a bigger assassination plan,' he alleged, and expressed gratitude to Moazzam Gondal, who died in the shooting incident, and Ibtisam Hassan, who overpowered the suspected assailant.

Mr Khan also asked army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to take notice of the attack and the alleged involvement of a military officer, whom he called 'black sheep' in the army. He also urged the chief justice of Pakistan to provide him justice.

Since he claimed a first information report (FIR) of the attack was not being registered over fears of a backlash...