Pakistan Opposition Protesters March on Parliament
ISLAMABAD (Press TV) - Tens of thousands of Pakistani protesters have marched on the country’s parliament in the capital Islamabad amid tight security.
The Wednesday march was led by Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, and dissident cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri.
The government had ordered the protesters not to enter Islamabad’s "red zone”, which is home to key buildings, including parliament, the prime minister’s house and many embassies.
On Tuesday, police said about 30,000 security troops had fanned out around the parliament and the red zone.
However, Khan and Qadri rejected the call and soon after midnight thousands of their supporters entered the high-security red zone.
Khan also issued an ultimatum, demanding that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resign by Wednesday evening. "Nawaz Sharif, I will wait for your resignation until tomorrow evening and after that, we will enter inside the prime minister's house.”
The march comes as Pakistan’s army spokesman General Asim Bajwa called for restraint and a negotiated resolution.
"Situation requires patience, wisdom and sagacity from all stakeholders to resolve prevailing impasse through meaningful dialogue in larger national and public interest,” he said in a message posted on a recognized Twitter account.
Earlier, a senior cabinet minister, Ahsan Iqbal, who was appointed by Sharif to lead talks with the opposition, said that instead of the march "we request that Imran Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri agree to talks with the government.”
Both Khan and Qadri have left an offer of talks from the Pakistani prime minister dangling. Khan has not responded to the government’s call for talks, seeking more details. However, Qadri has rejected the offer outright.
The two have called for Sharif to quit, accusing him of corruption and ballot rigging in last year’s parliamentary vote.
The government had ordered the protesters not to enter Islamabad’s "red zone”, which is home to key buildings, including parliament, the prime minister’s house and many embassies.
On Tuesday, police said about 30,000 security troops had fanned out around the parliament and the red zone.
However, Khan and Qadri rejected the call and soon after midnight thousands of their supporters entered the high-security red zone.
Khan also issued an ultimatum, demanding that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resign by Wednesday evening. "Nawaz Sharif, I will wait for your resignation until tomorrow evening and after that, we will enter inside the prime minister's house.”
The march comes as Pakistan’s army spokesman General Asim Bajwa called for restraint and a negotiated resolution.
"Situation requires patience, wisdom and sagacity from all stakeholders to resolve prevailing impasse through meaningful dialogue in larger national and public interest,” he said in a message posted on a recognized Twitter account.
Earlier, a senior cabinet minister, Ahsan Iqbal, who was appointed by Sharif to lead talks with the opposition, said that instead of the march "we request that Imran Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri agree to talks with the government.”
Both Khan and Qadri have left an offer of talks from the Pakistani prime minister dangling. Khan has not responded to the government’s call for talks, seeking more details. However, Qadri has rejected the offer outright.
The two have called for Sharif to quit, accusing him of corruption and ballot rigging in last year’s parliamentary vote.