Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan claimed on Friday that his party will ‘clean-sweep’ the by-elections in Punjab scheduled for July 17, Aaj News reported.

“The by-polls on July 17 will not be like the past as an enlightened nation would cast votes this time. The PTI will sweep the by-elections in Punjab,” he said while addressing a charged crowd in Faisalabad.

Imran Khan said that he has never seen this much political awareness in the nation during the past 75 years.

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He said the people are aware of the “US-backed conspiracy through which thieves and crooks were imposed upon this nation who plundered Rs1,100 billion of public money”.

“After assuming power, they cleared themselves from the cases through amendments in NAB laws,” Imran Khan said, ensuring the participants that he would not let the crooks usurp the public money.

The PTI chief said that the politics of turncoats would be dismissed forever on July 17.

“The government will leave no stones unturned to rig the by-polls as it realises that the nation is with PTI,” Imran warned his workers and urged the youth to turn out and ensure that their votes are not stolen on the polling day.

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He also criticised the recent reduction in fuel prices by the government, terming it ‘inadequate’ for the public.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the reduction as if he was doing a favour to the nation,” Imran said, adding that the oil prices in the international market have dropped below $100 per barrel, thus the prices locally should be around Rs150 per litre.

He said that the government is not doing so because it fears the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

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“The PTI government had similar pressure but we did not yield to the international lender’s unnecessary demands and reduced the price of the commodity.”

The former premier said that Faisalabad’s textile industry was booming a few months ago so much so that it created a shortage of laborers. However, he lamented that industries were shutting down now due to the government which came into power through a conspiracy.

Imran reiterated that he wants good relations with all countries including the US but would not take dictation from anyone.

‘War for Lahore’s progress’

Making a last-ditch effort to woo voters in Punjab, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that she was able to sleep peacefully after the prices of petrol and diesel were reduced.

Addressing a workers’ convention in Lahore about the by-polls, Maryam said that the capital of Punjab has always belonged to PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif.

“The [former] incapable government had turned Lahore into ruins. [But] we will set new records of development for Lahore by working day and night.

The party leader further said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif worked round-the-clock for improvements in Punjab.

In another public rally in Multan, Maryam said that the people of Punjab didn’t even know if their chief minister was Usman Buzdar or Farah Khan.

She said the upcoming by-polls in Punjab will not be a fight between two political parties, but “a battle for the progress of Punjab.”

She asked the participants of the convention to promise that none of them would sit at home on July 17.