Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan accused the incumbent government of planning to win the Punjab by-polls by rigging.

“They are trying to win the by-election by involving the Election Commission of Pakistan to help them steal the by-polls,” the former premier said while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Monday.

The by-polls have been scheduled for July 17 on the seats that fell vacant after the ECP de-notified 25 dissident PTI MPAs. These MPAs had voted for PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz in the Punjab chief minister’s election on May 23.

Food security

Speaking about food security, the PTI chairperson said that it is interconnected with the agriculture sector. Without food security, our problems will increase, remarked Imran, while calling for policy-level measures for the development of the agriculture sector.

“We should focus on the farmers otherwise the country’s food security will remain in danger,” he said.

One in three Pakistanis is believed to be food insecure. It ranked 92nd among 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index last year. Pakistan was characterised as facing a “serious” level of hunger due to malnourishment, micronutrient (iron, calcium and Vitamin A) deficiencies and deficit of safe drinking water.

While recalling the prices of fertilizers during his government’s tenure, Imran said that the PTI-led government was providing urea fertilizer at much lower rates compared to the current prices.

“The cost of fertilizer has a direct impact on agriculture.”

Lashing out at the “imported government”, Imran said that it was not taking any step for the betterment of the people due to having a foreign-driven agenda.

“They cannot take any decisions without the permission of their foreign masters.”

He said that PTI’s movement was not a political one but a ‘jihad’ against the ‘imported government’ which came into power through a foreign conspiracy, a claim Imran had repeatedly made in public gatherings, speeches and interviews even before his ouster back in April this year.