ISLAMABAD: A fiery anti-government religious scholar led a massive rally of thousands of protesters in Pakistan’s capital who defied pouring rain to demand Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down over alleged fraud in last year’s election.
Tahirul Qadri also called for all four provincial assemblies and Pakistan’s national assembly to be dissolved because they were formed in “unconstitutional” manner, in a wide ranging list of demands made on Saturday.
Qadri, along with Imran Khan, have drawn thousands of demonstrators to dual protests that have disrupted life across Islamabad.
Addressing protesters he had led from Lahore, Imran Khan said he would stage a sit-in that would continue until Sharif leaves office.
But the fiery rhetoric by the opposition figures was not matched by manpower: Of the million promised in Islamabad by Khan and Qadri, just thousands remained in the capital by Saturday evening.
Khan himself spent a portion of the day at his residence in the suburbs of the capital, explaining he had to rest after the long journey while commanding his supporters to stay firmly put on Islamabad’s streets.
Qadri earlier told his supporters to continue protesting until they bring about a “peaceful revolution.”
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