'Jihad for freedom': Imran urges youth to vote in upcoming Punjab by-polls

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday urged the youth to vote in the upcoming by-elections in Punjab, stating that votes would serve as “jihad” for “genuine freedom”.

Addressing the youth, Imran said that the incumbent government’s rise to power is a foreign-funded conspiracy.

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“The thieves in power have robbed the country of Rs11 billion and have had themselves pardoned,” the party chairman claimed.

He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government has destroyed the economy amidst rising inflation within the country.

A day earlier, Imran expressed fear that Pakistan is heading towards a similar situation to that of Sri Lanka due to the dynastic rule of two families – Sharif and Zardari.

“We are going to suffer the same fate as Sri Lanka because [Sri Lankan] rulers were also a family just like the two families here [in Pakistan] who are ruling the country for the last 30 years,” he said while addressing a rally in Punjab’s Lodhran on Monday.

Karachi rain: ‘classic example of how corruption ruins governance’

Referring to the intense monsoon spell that inundated Sindh’s capital city and stagnated infrastructure, Imran in a separate social media post on Twitter accused the Bhutto-Zardari family of corruption.

“Rains have once again exposed 14 years [of] corrupt rule,” wrote the ousted premier, adding that the devastation of the city was a “classic example of how corruption ruins governance.”

The PTI leader also accused the political dynasty of taking federal funds provided to Karachi, directing them to “fake accounts” and investing in Dubai’s real estate.

“This nexus of evil must be brought to an end,” Imran remarked.

26 people killed across Sindh due to monsoon rains: PDMA

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Tuesday stated that 26 people have been killed in rain-related incidents across Sindh, from June 20 to July 10.

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According to data released by the PDMA, in addition to 26 deaths, 11 have been injured within the same period. The highest number of deaths occurred in Karachi.

As monsoon rains ravage the province, the authority stated that 14 people were killed in rain-related accidents in the provincial capital, with six deaths reported in the city’s Eastern District and four in Korangi.