Imran Khan vows PTI will 'clean sweep' Punjab by-elections

FAISALABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has asserted that his party would clean sweep the upcoming by-elections in Punjab, scheduled to take place on July 17, ARY News reported on Friday.

Addressing a public gathering in Faisalabad in connection with the upcoming Punjab by-elections, the former premier vowed to beat the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the ‘turncoats’ in the by-polls.

Imran Khan began his speech by thanking the citizens to participate in the public gathering ‘in large numbers’. “The people of Pakistan are now aware of their rights and the conspiracies held against the country,” he added.

He reiterated that the ‘foreign conspiracy’ was succeeded with the facilitation of Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq of Pakistan. However, the PTI Chairman vowed to fight for Pakistan ’till the last ball’.

The former prime minister noted that July 17 by-elections will not be like the past as this time, an aware nation would cast votes. “I have never seen this nation as aware in the last 75 years,” he added.

Imran Khan claimed that the ‘imported government’ plundered Rs1,100 billion of public money through amendments in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws as they came into power, vowing that he would not let rulers usurp the public money.

He claimed the government will leave no stones unturned for rigging in the by-polls as it has realized that the nation is with PTI while urging the youth to vote for the ‘bat’.

Imran Khan also criticised the recent reduction in fuel prices by the government as he termed it ‘inadequate’. “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the reduction as if he was doing a favor to the nation,” he added.

He noted that the global oil prices have dropped significantly below $100 and the price of petrol and diesel locally should be around Rs150.

He contended that the government is not doing so because it fears International Monetary Fund (IMF) unlike the PTI government which did not succumb to the pressure from the global lender and kept the price of the commodity low.

Imran Khan reiterated that they want good relations with every country including the United States but would not embrace anyone as their ‘masters’. “The US brought the incumbent rulers in powers as it could not bear a leader who serves the interest of his nation instead of their,” he added.

Punjab By-elections 

The by-elections on the 20 Punjab Assembly seats, vacated after the PTI MPAs voted for Humza Shehbaz in the CM elections, will be conducted on July 17, 2022.

The results of the by-polls would be essential for the CM vote count, ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in the Punjab Assembly in July 2022.

Also Read: Punjab by-polls: Election campaigns end tonight 12 AM

PML-N needs to win a total of 9 seats in the by-elections to gain a majority to elect their Chief Minister in the biggest province of the country.