ISLAMABAD – Pakistan authorities locked down parts of Lahore Friday for thereturn from London of former premier Nawaz Sharif, who faces possiblearrest and a 10-year prison sentence ahead of already tense elections hisparty insists are being rigged.

Sharif’s arrival was set for a day marked by a spike in violence, with twoattacks on two campaign rallies in separate parts of the country killingnearly 40 people and raising fears for security days ahead of the July 25polls.

Sharif was sentenced in absentia last week to 10 years in prison by acorruption court over the purchase of high-end properties in London,dealing a serious blow to his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party’sbid weeks ahead of the vote.

He has claimed he is being targeted by the military.

“I know that… I will be directly taken to jail,” he said in a videoreleased by his party Friday.

“I want to tell Pakistanis I have been doing this for you… Walk with me,join hands with me and change the destination of the country.”

Pakistani reporters travelling with Sharif said later Friday that he hadboarded a flight in Abu Dhabi for his last leg to Lahore.

An estimated 8,000 supporters have gathered there for a rally led by hisbrother Shahbaz Sharif, who now heads the PML-N. Shahbaz has said they willremain peaceful.

Roughly the same number of police are expected to be deployed, policeofficials told AFP earlier, while some containers were set up blockingroads, and travel to and from the airport was reportedly restricted.

On Thursday Shahbaz said that hundreds of the party’s workers andsupporters had been arrested in what he described as “naked” pre-pollrigging.

Despite the crackdown, PML-N backers continued to flock to Lahore earlierFriday, vowing to confront authorities if challenged.

“We are going to airport and if anybody stops us then we are ready to go tojail,” Khurram Ehsan, 36, told AFP.

“We can go beyond our limits for our leader.” – APP/AFP