File Photo. Asif Hassan—AFP
Seven killed, 40 others wounded when people rushed a metal gate while trying to leave the rally.
At least seven people were killed and 40 others wounded in a stampede following a political rally by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan in Multan on Friday, officials said.
The deaths occurred after the opposition politician addressed a crowd to reiterate his demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who he accuses of vote rigging in last year’s elections.
“At least seven people are dead and 40 others wounded,” said Pervez Haider, director of the emergency department at Nishtar Hospital. Multan police chief Sultan Chaudhry confirmed the casualties and said the stampede occurred when people were leaving the stadium after the rally.
Khan, along with populist cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, has been staging a sit-in in Islamabad since Aug. 15. Protest rallies have also been held in other Pakistani cities. Khan and Qadri claim the 2013 elections were massively rigged, but local and foreign observers say the polls were largely credible.