Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday vowed to defeat attempts to “sabotage” his development agenda, in an address to a public gathering in the political bastion of his arch-rival Imran Khan.

“We will not let anyone undermine come in the way the way of Pakistan’s development and sabotage our agenda of progress and people’s well being,” he told a cheering crowd at Mansehra in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ruled by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Sharif laid the foundation stone of a 120km highway project, announced a hefty grant for a university in the region and also unveiled plans for building more expressways.

The prime minister, facing growing pressure from the PTI and other opposition parties, called upon masses to deal a crushing blow to “empty slogan mongers” in the next general election due in 2018.

Leaders of opposition parties including former ruling Pakistan People’s Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, have agreed to hold a meet in Islamabad on May 2 to evolve a joint position regarding a probe they are demanding into the Panama Leaks.

Last week on Friday the prime minister wrote a letter to Pakistan’s Chief Justice Aanwar Zaheer Jamali asking him to form a probe commission.

Jamali however left the next day on a visit to Turkey and is expected to respond to the letter on his return in the coming days.

The opposition camp has rejected the terms and reference set by the government for the inquiry commission, saying these will turn the whole exercise into a sham.

Amid Panama pressure, Sharif unveils projects, the prime minister said his government had increased power generation since taking office in June 2014 for five years, thus reducing the duration of daily power cuts.

“By 2018 the energy crisis will be fully overcome due to projects being implemented by the government,” Sharif pledged.

Meanwhile, PTI plans to hold a massive rally on Sunday in Lahore, capital of Punjab, the most populous province and power base of the Sharif family, to step up pressure for scrutiny of offshore assets of the prime minister’s children.

“That event will be like net practice or warm-up for the next major step,” he said referring to plans to march to Raiwind estate of Sharif family near Lahore.

Almost daily bitter exchanges of invective and corruption accusations by ruling party leaders and PTI activists continue, raising the political temperature.

Alluding to PTI leader’s rallying call of a “new Pakistan,” the prime minister said that “people cannot be deceived by hollow slogans.”

Imran Khan, speaking to party workers in Lahore on Thursday, thundered: “The rulers have to explain from where money was gained and how it was transferred abroad for offshore companies of Sharif’s children.”

“It is defining moment for Pakistan, an opportunity to put an end to rampant corruption and pave the way for change,” the PTI leader said.

Reports said the PML-N has also planned a big rally in Lahore in the days ahead in support of their leader, now midway through his record third term as prime minister.