‘If you want to live…’: Imran Khan in first public rally since assassination bid

Khan, who was accompanied by a team of doctors as he arrived in a helicopter in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, said everyone had advised him not to address the rally in person due to his injured leg and the threats to his life.

Imran Khan on Saturday addressed a mega rally organised by his party here in Pakistan's garrison city, the first since the former prime minister was wounded during an assassination bid.

Workers install a bullet proof glass shield on the main stage of the venue ahead an anti-government rally by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. (AFP)

Khan, who was accompanied by a team of doctors as he arrived in a helicopter in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Saturday, said everyone had advised him when he was setting out from Lahore not to do so due to his injured leg as well as the threats to his life.

Khan said he went ahead because he has seen death form close range.

"if you want to live life, shun the fear of death," he said.

He is leading the long march, demanding early general elections, months after he was ousted from power.

Earlier, Khan was advised to wear a bulletproof jacket, should not exit the vehicle on the way to the rally’s venue and keep his movement secret.

Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan. The US has denied the allegations.

Khan is the only Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament. The term of the current National Assembly will end in August 2023.