CHITRAL / ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has said that his party has challenged the forces of the status quo ruling the country by taking turns, but they can no more enslave the poor people by their joint machinations.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of a university in Chitral on Wednesday, he said Nawaz Sharif was the first to feel the brunt of accountability before the JIT constituted by the Supreme Court.

He said Mr Sharif was living the life of a king. He wondered why a hue and cry was made when `princess`Maryam was called to appear before the JIT.

Mr Khan said merit and democracy were synonymous with and complemented each other and where the merit had the greatest say, democracy was in its highest form and the common man became the ruler by dint of his or her capability.

`Where merit is trampled, the ruler and his coterie accumulate wealth at the cost of the common man making him poorer than before like Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who owns millions of dollars at present while in the recent past he rode a scooter,` he said, adding that the PTI had started a crusade againstsuchpeople.

About the importance of the university in Chitral, he said God hasblessed the land of Chitral with marvellous resources and their exploitation to the benefit of the people was not possible without economy of knowledge which came from the institution of university.

Giving the example of Singapore, he said that some 45 years ago, its universities wereinferior tothose of Pakistan whose students studied here but now the Singapore University had its annual budget which was larger in volume than the national budget of Pakistan and per capita income of that country was more than $15,000 a year.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah in a statement issued in Islamabad urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign to avoid a possible `disaster The `confrontation can lead to an unbearable loss, therefore the prime minister should take a prompt and better decision of resignation keeping in view national interest,` the PPP leader said.

Mr Shah said the country`s current internal and external situation did not allow keeping the motherland under further confrontation. `It is better for the prime minister to take his own decision so that the country, nation and democracy can survive and become triumphant,` he added.

He said that due to the prevailing situation not only the economy of the country was affecting, but it was putting a negative impact on the credibility of the whole nation inside and outside the country.

The opposition leader said the prime minister had hinted that a`puppet show` was being played and a conspiracy was being hatched against his government. However, being a prime minister of the country it was his duty to expose the faces behind the `conspiracy`. `Puppet show is a more serious issue than Panamagate and if the prime minister is sincere with the country, nation and democracy, he must unveil the conspirators.

Otherwise, his claim will be considered as a tactic to complicate Panama [Papers] leaks case,` he added.

Mr Shah said it seemed that the government was utilising its all energies to protect itself ignoring other core issues.

Meanwhile, PTI information secretary Shafgat Mehmood said his party was demandingresignationof the prime minister from day one when the Panama Papers issue surfaced because it had proved now that Nawaz Sharif and his cronies were misusing their public of fices and threatening JIT members.

He said Maryum Nawaz and prime minister`s sons had come up with a new logic that they did not know under what charges the JIT was investigating them. `They knew about Panamagate six months before it surfaced that was the reason Hussain Nawaz had started saying six months before that he owned flats in London,` he said.

Mr Mehmood rejected a claim by Maryum Nawaz that personal accounts and earning of the Sharif family were being investigated and said Nawaz Sharif made his wealth while sitting in the office of prime minister thrice and as a chief minister of Punjab through corruption.