Imran Khan kicks off election campaign with Mianwali rally

PTI chief vows to root out corruption by strengthening institutions

MIANWALI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Sunday kicked off his election campaign by staging a massive rally in his hometown Mianwali, promising sweeping changes in the country if his party wins.

The upcoming polls, scheduled for July 25, will bring to halt political tensions that have been mounting since former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court on corruption charges last July and later barred from politics for life.

"Today I am launching my election campaign and weeks after, you will see emergence of a new Pakistan," Khan told thousands of supporters. He said that if elected, he will root out corruption by strengthening institutions, will bring investment from abroad and will provide better job opportunities for the youth.



Khan also promised changes in the agriculture and education sectors and wide-ranging reforms to introduce a culture of paying tax.

"With the grace of Almighty, we will make a new Pakistan which will be self-sufficient and will stand on its own feet, will prosper and where government will serve its people," Khan said.

Sharif was the 15th prime minister in the country's seven-decade history to be ousted before finishing a full term. The country witnessed its first democratic transfer of power following polls in 2013, which Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won in a landslide.



Despite the numerous court rulings against the PML-N, the party has won a string of recent by-elections proving it will likely remain a powerful force.