Imran adamant on Sharif’s ouster

• No fresh talks between Qadri’s PAT and Pak govt
• Parliament rejects demand for Sharifs resignation
• Sharif meets President to discuss political crisis

Islamabad: Pakistan's opposition leader Imran Khan on Thursday hardened his stand by withdrawing from dialogue with the government and vowed to continue his fight till the end, apparently buoyed by the Supreme Court's washing off its hands of the protests.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief cleric Tahirul Qadri whose thousands of supporters have combined with Khan's supporters also stayed put in the 'Red Zone' where important government buildings including the Parliament House, Prime Minister House, President House, the Supreme Court besides the embassies are housed.

PAT whose leaders met with government representatives on Wednesday held no fresh talks on Thursday. Khan relented late last night from his 'no-talks' position until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns.

Prime Minister Sharif, during a meeting with senior journalists, said if the government accepts the demands of PTI and PAT the country will face numerous challenges, Express News reported."Out of 12 political parties in the Parliament, 11 are supporting the government," Sharif said."We respect people's mandate. We can't even imagine using force against dharnas. We are ready to hold talks," he said.

A team of his party leaders held discussions with the government representatives.Meanwhile, Pakistan's National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the anti-government protesters' demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and dissolution of the Parliament.

Sharif also met President Mamnoon Hussain here and discussed the current political crisis caused due to anti-government protests spearheaded by opposition leader Imran Khan and cleric Tahirul Qadri, demanding the premier's resignation.

Sharif briefed the President about the measures taken by the government to peacefully deal with the protests by Khan and Qadri. The Pakistan Supreme Court rejected the government's plea for an order for the eviction of protesters besieging the Parliament, saying it is an administrative matter and should be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Emboldened by the court's stand, Khan upped the ante against the Sharif government, announcing that he would not talk to the government until the Prime Minister resigns . A visibly charged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Khan this afternoon called on his supporters to expand the civil disobedience movement into all the provinces.

"It is our democratic right to protest...We are not breaking any laws. I request the Supreme Court to have these containers removed so that life can return to normal," said Khan, addressing his supporters camped outside the parliament.

"The talks with the government are over. How can these talks proceed when we first want resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif?" Khan said. Khan asked his supporters from all provinces to converge in Islamabad.