Lahore: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday appeared undeterred by rival Imran Khan's protest campaign aimed at forcing him to resign over corruption allegations saying he is not afraid of exile or jail and that his government would complete it's term.
Addressing a public rally in Kasur district of Punjab province, the premier said Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), had never gone in jail.
"We have undergone imprisonment and exile. We are not afraid of going to jail and exile," Sharif said.
He also made it clear that not only would his government complete its term but also return for another five-year term in the 2018 polls.
Sharif said, "The country has rejected the PTI in the general election in 2013, now it is taking its revenge from the country by blocking the country. We will not only complete our term but also come to power again for another five years in 2018".
Referring to Khan's PTI he said, "The opposition wants to end Pakistan's road to success, however Imran Khan's political career will end in coming days".
This is Sharif's second public address in the last two days in which he challenged cricketer-turned-politician Khan for his "anti-democracy and anti-progress" move.
PTI has announced plans to lay siege to the capital next week "at any cost" if by then Sharif doesn't agree to either resign or allow an investigation into offshore holdings of his family members revealed in the Panama Papers.
A day after clashes between PTI workers and police in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the Punjab police closed the Peshawar-Islamabad motorway and Attock Bridge by placing containers to stop the PTI workers from reaching the capital on November 2 when Khan and his supporters have a plan to lock down the city from the rest of the country.
Party chief Khan today directed his workers to escape arrest and reach Islamabad on November 2 for a final showdown with the Sharif government as police detained more than 600 activists of PTI in different parts of Punjab province, Khan also advised party supporters to travel in groups and instead of taking the main route where police is stationed they should opt for hidden routes to arrive at the site.
Khan remained under virtual house arrest at his Bani Galaresidence in Islamabad on Friday as police tear gassed and baton-charged scores of PTI workers before bundling them intoprison vans in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
His party had earlier held a four-month sit-in in 2014 in Islamabad against alleged rigging in the 2013 general election.
