A senior member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and ally of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, was shot by a gunman on Sunday as he left a constituency meeting in Punjab province. Iqbal was hospitalized with a bullet wound and was reported to be in stable condition on Monday, according to minister of state for interior affairs Talal Chaudhry. Leaders from various opposition parties in Pakistan condemned the assassination attempt, although a prominent official from Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party suggested that Sharif's removal by the Supreme Court last July had created the conditions for the attack at large rallies. Naeem ul Haq, chief of staff for former cricket star Khan, strongly condemns Nawaz's wild accusations against his opponents, stating that they are negatively impacting the political climate in Pakistan by creating tension and anger. He warns that if Nawaz continues to spread such poison, further incidents will occur. Despite being disqualified as prime minister last July for unreported income, Nawaz Sharif's party still holds a majority in parliament. Sharif has criticized the court ruling as a conspiracy orchestrated by rival Khan, portraying him as a puppet of the military establishment known for interfering in Pakistani politics. Khan refutes allegations of collusion with the army, while the military denies involvement in politics. The recent attack on Sunday has increased tensions leading up to the upcoming election in late July. Initial reports suggest that the attacker may be linked to a new Islamist political party advocating for strict sharia law and the death penalty for blasphemy. Despite this, the Islamists deny any connection to the attacker, as stated by Labaik spokesperson Ejaz Ashrafi. "We are not armed. We are engaged in a non-violent struggle. Those plotting against Tehreek-e-Labaik will not prevail." Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the leader of the party, denounced the attack on Iqbal, stating that Labaik is working towards establishing the Prophet's religion peacefully. Iqbal was shot in the right arm and the bullet entered his groin. The suspected shooter, identified as 21-year-old Abid Hussain, has not had a motive officially confirmed by the police. Minister of state Chaudhry mentioned that religious radicalism is a part of his background, and other individuals have been arrested in connection to the attack. Investigations are ongoing to determine if certain groups influenced the attack. Chaudhry emphasized that radicalism is a societal issue, not just an individual one. Labaik originated from a protest movement that supported Mumtaz Qadri, who assassinated the governor of Punjab in 2011 due to his stance on blasphemy laws. The movement caused major disruptions in the country's capital last year over changes to electoral laws. The recent attack on Iqbal has raised concerns about potential pre-election violence by Islamist groups, similar to incidents in previous elections, including the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007.