Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday accused the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja of helping the “imported government” rig the Punjab by-elections scheduled for July 17, Aaj News reported.

“I ask the Chief Election Commissioner how many times you have visited PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz and Maryam Nawaz,” Khan enquired, implying that the CEC was in collusion with the PML-N.

“They know deep down that they cannot secure a single seat if free and fair elections are held. Therefore, they have planted their own people in key positions to rig Punjab by-polls,” Imran Khan said while addressing a large public gathering in Darya Khan Tehsil of Bhakkar.

The PTI chief claimed that the "neutrals" were helping the PML-N in the upcoming by-polls, saying that "Mr X" who is meddling in the by-polls through state machinery, has deployed "Mr Y" in Multan for the same purpose.

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The PTI chief said that the people have now become aware of their tactics and will thwart all such efforts on polling day.

Imran Khan said that the political turncoats have no direction and their heads tilt where there is money and power.

“When a person doesn’t have a Qibla, he becomes a turncoat,” he said.

The former premier said that the by-polls are not an ordinary election, adding that they are an indication of "jihad against turncoats and crooked politicians."

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The former prime minister said that the “imported government” has resorted to threatening him to demoralize him as he vowed to never accept the "cabal of crooks" irrespective of how many FIRs were lodged against him.

Calling out the “local abettors” and those who brought the coalition government to power, Imran Khan said: “I will not accept the thieves even if I have to sacrifice my life.”