Published: Aug 18, 2014, 11:22 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 18, 2014, 11:22 PM (IST)
Aug 18, 2014
Imran Khan, formar Pakistani cricketing legend and leader of Political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) was left isolated by the other political parties of country. Khan recently called for mass civil disobedience to unseat the current government. All other parties distanced themselves from this decision of Khan.
He claimed that the 2013 general election was rigged and asked thousands of supporters from the Lahore to rally in Islamabad to demand the resignation of the Government. On Sunday he appealed to the people to stop paying utility bills and taxes to the current government, accusing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of plundering the national wealth to enrich his business empire. Though talks began to try to end a destabilizing five-day political standoff.
Former president of the country, Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party which is the largest opposition party, said Khan’s willingness to use “unconstitutional means” to pursue his goals threatened democracy. “Democracy and nation will not be served by calls for civil disobedience nor by a stubborn refusal by any side to engage in a meaningful dialogue on political issues,” Zardari said in a statement.
In response to the protests, the authorities have deployed tens of thousands of security personnel on the streets of the capital and blocked main roads with shipping containers, causing major disruption. Sirajul Haq, head of the religious political party Jamaat-e-Islami, who has played a key mediating role since the two protest marches began on Thursday, urged a negotiated end to the stand-off. “We are against any move which can derail democracy. We want to resolve all the matters within the framework of law and constitution,” he told AFP.
