Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan Friday said what happened in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) is happening in his country now. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief drew comparisons to 1970, when the largest party, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman-led Awami League, was denied the right to form the government despite gaining the majority of seats in the general elections of December 7 – a watershed moment that later broke Pakistan. "What happened in East Pakistan? The military took action against the party which won the elections," Imran said in his first public remarks in a video broadcast on PTI's YouTube channel after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt during a long march in Punjab's Wazirabad Thursday. "The largest party won, but it was denied its rights; the same thing is happening here right now," the PTI chief added. Sitting in a wheelchair at a hospital in Lahore, the 70-year-old former international cricket star said he would not have survived the shooting if the two shooters he saw had "synchronised" their attack. One of Imran's supporters was killed and 13 others, including two lawmakers, were wounded in the attack. Read more: Rallies demonstrate Imran Khan’s political force Imran's protest march and rallies were peaceful until Thursday afternoon's attack, raising concerns about growing political instability in Pakistan, a country with a history of political violence and assassinations. He maintains that his April ouster from Parliament was unlawful and a conspiracy by his political opponents orchestrated by the US, a charge denied by both Washington and his successor Shehbaz Sharif. Imran wants the government to announce snap elections. He led the protest from Lahore beginning last Friday along with thousands of supporters, saying his protest will continue until his demands are accepted. Pakistan says elections will take place as scheduled in 2023. Read more: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif condemns attack on Imran Khan    

Internationally renowned scholar from Pakistan Husain Haqqani has said the people of Pakistan should urge their government to offer a formal apology to the people of Bangladesh for all the atrocities that were committed in 1971. “To this day, no apology has been forthcoming.... an apology is the most courteous thing ...," he said who served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011. Referring to the general elections of 1970 in the then Pakistan and the Pakistan military, Haqqani, now living in the United States, said the military’s reaction in the form of imprisoning Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and initiating genocide against the Bengalis. He made the remarks in a virtual talk on ‘‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: An Iconic Leader of People’s Struggle for Freedom’’ organised by the Embassy of Bangladesh to Belgium and Luxembourg, and Mission to the European Union in Brussels on Monday. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen joined the event as chief guest while Bangladesh Ambassador in Brussels, Mahbub Hassan Saleh, moderated the event. Ambassador Husain Haqqani, currently a Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia at Hudson Institute, a top think tank in Washington, D.C., United States, said Bangabandhu is not only the greatest Bengali of all time, he is one of the greatest leaders emerging out of South Asia. He also said Bangabandhu is a great leader in the history of the world, and an iconic figure of struggle for freedom that the world has seen throughout the 20th century. 

The historic Six-Point Day is being observed in the country on Sunday in a different manner due to coronavirus pandemic.