Imran Khan eyes victory as Pakistan announces elections on July 25

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Imran Khan eyes victory as Pakistan announces elections on July 25Pakistani cricket star-turned-politician
on July 25.The poll will bring to a head political tensions that have been building since former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by
the Supreme Court on corruption charges and later barred from politics for life.Khan is hoping to achieve a years-long dream of leading the
country as its prime minister, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the main challenger to the ruling Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N), which was headed by Sharif until his ban.PTI leaders have said they are confident they will be able to defeat the
PML-N."The Pakistani nation can see the dawn of a new Pakistan, which will not be ruled by the corrupt," the party said in a statement
prospect of what would be only the second-ever democratic transfer of power in the South Asian country.The current government, led by Prime
It has also denied allegations of graft against its leadership by opponents like Khan.PTI has vowed to fight corruption, presenting itself
as a polar opposite of what it calls status-quo politicians.Since he was ousted, Sharif and the PML-N have become increasingly vocal in
military rule -- to be removed before completing a full term.The country saw its first ever democratic transfer of power following elections
in 2013, which the PML-N won by a landslide."This is the second consecutive parliament to complete its tenure and we are now looking forward
to (going) to the people to get their verdict on our performance," Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told AFP.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.It continues to
Iqbal was shot in the arm in a suspected assassination attempt by an Islamist gunman earlier this month.Sharif also sparked a firestorm
after suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, approaching what is seen as a red line in the country by touching