Ex-Pakistani PM Khan calls off march to avoid 'havoc'

STORY: Khan has been holding country-wide protests to push the government for early elections ever since being ousted from power in April. The protests were to culminate in a march to the capital city, which threatened to worsen political turmoil in the nuclear-armed country battling an economic crisis.

On Saturday, Khan arrived at the rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, using a walking frame, after being shot in the shin in the early-November attack, under tight security. A police official told local media that 10,000 personnel had been deployed for the event, with snipers positioned at various points.

Seated behind bulletproof glass, Khan told his thousand of supporters at the gathering he decided to cancel the march because he knew "there will be destruction and the loss will be to the country."

Khan also said he was meeting with ministers and parliamentary leaders of his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on resigning from all provincial assemblies in a fresh bid to push for early elections.

"Instead of creating havoc in our country, it is better that we get out of this corrupt system," he said to applause from the crowd.

PTI has already resigned from federal parliament, but remains in power in two provinces and two administrative units.