More like a shot in the arm

The assassination attempt on Imran Khan is likely to make his political fortunes soar.

The November 4 assassination attempt on former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan points to the fractious politics in a deeply divided country. Ever since he was ousted from power after failing to win a no-confidence motion, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been taking to the streets. Khan accused the United States of being behind his ouster since he tried to pursue an independent foreign policy and visited Moscow when Russia invaded Ukraine. In April, when he was voted out of power, his regime was unpopular and had been accused of corruption. Prices of essentials soared, the Pakistani rupee dipped against the dollar, and the country faced a balance of payments crisis. Yet in October, he had risen like a phoenix to challenge the government.