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Imran khan sees foreign elements' hand in Lahore attack
Pakistani cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan claims that a "foreign element" was behind the recent terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore and points fingers at India, among others.
Pakistani cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan claims that a "foreign element" was behind the recent terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore and points fingers at India, among others.
"A foreign element was almost certainly involved. It could be India, Afghanistan, the Tamil Tigers," Khan told the Times in an interview.
He said "the motive is to damage the state of Pakistan and end cricket here. The shocking thing is that there was so little security for the players."
Khan, whose political career has been floundering, fears his country would now be treated as a pariah by the rest of the world as it was already described as a "failed state" and a "breeding ground for terrorists".
"The perpetrators wanted to portray Pakistan as a chaotic state in the Dark Ages," he said.
The former Pakistan cricket Captain's remarks run contrary to media reports which are pinning the attack on cricketers on groups like LeT and Al-Qaeda.
Khan claimed he was convinced that Pakistani extremists were being made the scapegoats. "Almost all the terrorism taking place here since 2004 when Pakistan sent its army into the tribal areas has been suicide attacks," he said.
Khan said last year there were over 100 suicide attacks -- but they have a pattern -- they are always in retaliation.
