KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has warned that if steps are not taken to tackle the looming water crisis Pakistan would turn into a desert.

Mr Khan, who arrived on Tuesday on a two-day visit to the city to lead his own and his party leaders’ election campaign, said time had come to reject the political parties which had been coming to power one after the other, but could not deliver.

He said the people could change the country’s fate in the July 25 general elections by casting their votes this time for PTI candidates. “We should think what we ought to do for the coming generations.”

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Mr Khan had a very busy schedule from media talks at the airport to visits to different constituencies in the city, including Gulshan-i-Iqbal, from where he is himself contesting for the NA-243 constituency.

The PTI chief then went to Ayub Goth where he addressed an election meeting in NA-242. He said Shahbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif spent billions of rupees on Metro and Orange trains which would be running in losses for years.

He said that had the Sharif brothers utilised the money judiciously on infrastructure development, the situation in Lahore would not have been what it was on the first monsoon rains.

Warns that Pakistan will turn into a desert if steps are not taken to tackle water crisis

Mr Khan also spoke at election gatherings at the camp offices of PTI candidates Amir Liaquat Hussain, Ali Haider Zaidi and Saif-ur-Rahman.

He said the PTI’s competition in Karachi was with the Pakistan Peoples Party, which remained in power for the past 10 years, but could not deliver and so what one could expect from them in the next five years.

The PPP leadership, he said, failed to solve the problems of Karachi because they did not have vision for the future.

He said Nawaz Sharif had to give money trail abroad for the purchase of his palaces.

Mr Khan appealed to the people of Karachi to vote this time for PTI candidates to change the country’s destiny.

In reply to a question at the Karachi airport, the PTI chairman said billions of rupees would be required to turn the PIA into a profitable entity.

The PTI chief laid the foundation stone of a home being built by Fixit for homeless children. He praised Fixit leader Alamgir Khan for his work and said there was no one to take care of the poor.

He said providing medical care, education and employment to people was the responsibility of the state, but people’s money was not being spent on their welfare.

At the airport, journalists staged a protest against inappropriate attitude of PTI activists and Imran Khan had to come down from his vehicle to pacify them.

Congratulating a party workers’ gathering on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, Mr Khan said an important phase of the country would begin on July 25. He said the parties ruling the country one after another could not change people’s fate. He said they had burdened Pakistan with loans of billions of rupees.

Mr Khan said huge funds had been invested in the Pakistan International Air­lines, yet no improvement was witnessed. “Reme­mber,” he said, “beggars could not walk with pride. This is high time to think about the coming generations.”

The PTI chief vowed that his party would make Sindh and Punjab police apolitical after coming to power as had been done in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa.

He said if the PTI got the people’s mandate in the elections it would plant trees throughout the country.

He asked the people not to give votes to the party that was only worried abo­ut winning the next election. Such parties would never resolve the issues concerning the public.

Mr Khan claimed that the PTI was the only party that was not worried about the next election only but also about the next generation. Citing the example of planting one billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said the PTI was doing it for the next generation.

Speaking to party supporters at Jauhar Chowrangi, Mr Khan said that he was happy to be among his own people. He said he had decided to contest the election from Karachi because he knew that Pakistan’s prosperity was based on Karachi’s progress.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2018