After thousands of protestors were led by an opposition leader and a firebrand cleric to march past riot police and barricades to parliament as part of a bid to force the Pakistan prime minister to stand down, Pakistani lawmakers are due to meet on Wednesday, Reuters reported. They want Nawaz Sharif to stand down over allegations of corruption and rigging last year's polls.
The political crisis will be discussed by lawmakers in Wednesday's parliamentary session, legislator Marvi Memon said. The protests are led by former international cricket star turned opposition leader Imran Khan and cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, who runs a network of Islamic schools and charities.
With 180 million people's history of coups and the government's struggle to tackle high unemployment, daily power cuts and a Taliban insurgency, the protests have raised questions over the stability of nuclear-armed Pakistan.
"Now no police or army will stop us," Khan told supporters on Tuesday. "Nawaz Sharif, resign by tomorrow 8 p.m., otherwise we will come to the prime minister's house."
Meanwhile, the country's powerful military, which often acts as an arbiter when it is not ruling directly, has called for a political solution to the crisis, according to Reuters. "Situation requires patience, wisdom and sagacity from all stakeholders to resolve prevailing impasse through meaningful dialogue in larger national and public interest," military spokesman General Asim Bajwa tweeted as the protesters approached parliament.
However, the protestors have taken over the Parliament, the Supreme Court, the prime minister's office and the entrance to the enclave where Western embassies are located.
"Khan wants Sharif to step down because he believes the prime minister rigged last year's polls. Sharif won the election by a landslide, and the polls were the first democratic transfer of power in Pakistan's history," Reuters reported. "Qadri wants Sharif to step down because he says the system is corrupt. He has promised free housing for the homeless, and welfare and subsidized food and electricity for the poor."
