Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan waves to supporters in Islamabad on Aug. 20, 2014 (AP photo)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan addressed his supporters at a massive rally in Islamabad, hours after the deadline set by him for Pakistan prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down lapsed. He said no dialogue was possible till Nawaz Sharif steps down as Pakistan's Prime Minister. Meanwhile negotiators from the government and the opposition held talks with protesting populist cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri.
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Addressing thousands of his supporters protesting in Islamabad's Red Zone, Imran Khan said he will stay there till Nawaz Sharif resigns. Mr Khan also demanded fresh elections be held under a neutral caretaker government. (Highlights of Imran Khan's Speech)
Four negotiators - two from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N)and two from the opposition parties, which are not in support of the protest either - held talks with Mr Qadri. While the talks were on, the blockade of parliament came to a temporary halt. The move, though, is symbolic, since PM Sharif and the lawmakers had already left the parliament building by a back entrance. (Also Read: Pakistan Social Media Abuzz with Pro and Anti-Government Debates)
After the talks, Mr Qadri said, "I have always been ready for dialogue. We will not compromise on our demands." Imran Khan, who rejected the possibility of talks till Mr Sharif resigned, told a Pakistani television channel that he would accept "whatever Supreme Court decided". Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered Mr Khan and Mr Qadri to appear tomorrow, in response to a petition filed over their protests. (Read)
About 30,000 protesters are picketing the Red Zone in capital Islamabad that houses key buildings including Parliament, the prime minister's house and numerous Western embassies. The blockade on the Parliament House began early this morning.
Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI has also begun a protest demanding Mr Sharif's resignation in Karachi. Mr Qadri and he claim that last year's general election - in which Mr Sharif's PML-N had won a landslide victory - was rigged. The election was rated as free and credible by international observers.
Mr Sharif has refused to step down. In a move to underscore the Army's support to his government, he has deployed 700 soldiers to guard Islamabad's Red Zone.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, has begun an investigation into Mr Khan's allegations of rigging in last year's national elections. The probe was announced by the PM last week. Many saw it as an attempt to preempt the opposition protests.
Despite fears of violence, there have been no major clashes yet. The government had pledged restraint and the soldiers turned spectators as women and children, who are part of the protest, marched on. Both Mr Khan and Mr Qadri, too, asked the protesters to be peaceful. "We will stage such a big crowd that people will forget Tahrir Square," Mr Khan told his followers.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan has experienced three military coups and Mr Khan's protest raises fears of the army stepping in. Thus, opposition parties had shunned Mr Khan's call to unseat the government and urged him to come to the negotiating table.
The international community has signaled its displeasure. Britain, one of Pakistan's leading partners and a major aid donor, has urged the two sides to find a democratic solution to the crisis. The European Union also voiced support for democracy in Pakistan - and linked it to a highly prized trade deal.
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