Former Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan held a rally in Lahore on Saturday, more than four months after shot in the legs during a long protest march against the government. He thanked the people of the city for making the rally at Minar-e-Pakistan ground “a success” despite security cover thrown in by the Punjab government. Speaking from behind a bulletproof screen, Mr Khan offered a “roadmap” for the economy of Pakistan and targeted the PML-N led government of Shehbaz Sharif.

Days later, he spoke about the attack to Independent and revealed that his right leg has suffered potentially long-lasting damage. In the November 2022 attack, Mr Khan had said he was “hit by four bullets” when a “burst of bullets” was directed at him in Wazirabad where he was leading the protest march form a container-mounted truck.

“I have had more problems with the impact of the nerve damage than the bullet wounds,” he told Independent. “I still can’t walk properly, I still don’t have proper sensation in my right foot. That’s a lasting effect, which the doctor says eventually with time will heal, will go away.”

He, however, asked the workers of his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to be in “election mode” in Pakistan’s Punjab where polls are due later this year.

Talking about his rally on Saturday, the 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said it was “historic”.

“It is the most historic venue in Pakistan. And it is the biggest venue. So it’s very difficult to fill that venue. If you do a rally there, the whole country watches, because for a party to fill that venue, it means that you have massive support,” the former PM told the outlet.

The provincial had placed containers on the way leading to the venue of the rally, keeping in view the security threat to Mr Khan. The Punjab government had issued an alert saying terrorists carrying explosive material may target political rallies.